August 8, 2011

No one knows quite how the growth of the multiracial population will change the country. Some say the blending of the races is a step toward transcending race, to a place where America is free of bigotry, prejudice and programs like affirmative action. Please join us for a level-headed discussion on the matter

In the first comprehensive accounting of Multiracial Americans since statistics were first collected about them in 2000, the 2010 census shows that the nation’s mixed-race population is growing far more quickly than many had estimated, particularly in the South and parts of the Midwest.

One in seven new marriages is between spouses of different races and ethnicities. Multiracial and multiethnic Americans are one of the country’s fastest-growing demographic groups.

Others say that a more powerful multiracial movement will lead to more division and come at the expense of the number and influence of other minority groups, particularly African-Americans.

Yet, in 1994, Ellis Cose surveyed successful middle- class african-americans and uncovered an often unspoken rage. He described his findings in the book, The Rage of the Middle Class. Now Cose has discovered a major change among middle-class blacks: They have become one of the most optimistic groups in America.