As a white woman who has had interracial relationships as far back as the 1980's, i'm sensitive to…

As a white woman who has had interracial relationships as far back as the 1980's, i'm sensitive to…

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As a white woman who has had interracial relationships as far back as the 1980's, I'm sensitive to mixed-race representation in advertising. I've noticed this trend as well. It's great at one level, but I've only seen black women with white men, and not the reverse. Perhaps I've just missed those ads, but based on what I have seen, I have to wonder if advertisers are hedging their bets, implicitly following a power hierarchy in who they're willing to potentially "offend." Are they capitalizing on being "inclusive" without risking invocation of the white supremacist taboo of white women with black men? Do they assume that pairing with a white man is a "step up" for the black woman and therefore "safe"? Are they unconcerned with potential messages the advertising creates for and about black men and black families? I don't know what conversations happen in "creative" meetings at advertising firms, but I do know that I see black men paired with Latina and Asian women, as well as in mixed race gay couples, but not with white women. Just an observation.

As a white woman who has had interracial relationships as far back as the 1980's, I'm sensitive to mixed-race representation in advertising. I've noticed this trend as well.


It's great at one level, but I've only seen black women with white men, and not the reverse. Perhaps I've just missed those ads, but based on what I have seen, I have to


wonder if advertisers are hedging their bets, implicitly following a power hierarchy in who they're willing to potentially "offend." Are they capitalizing on being


"inclusive" without risking invocation of the white supremacist taboo of white women with black men? Do they assume that pairing with a white man is a "step up" for the


black woman and therefore "safe"? Are they unconcerned with potential messages the advertising creates for and about black men and black families? I don't know what


conversations happen in "creative" meetings at advertising firms, but I do know that I see black men paired with Latina and Asian women, as well as in mixed race gay couples, but


not with white women. Just an observation.