Thugs, Nice Guys, and Players: Black College Women's Partner Preferences and Relationship Expectations

“It's Just More Acceptable To Be White or Mixed Race and Gay Than Black and Gay”: The Perceptions and Experiences of Homophobia in St. Lucia

“…Participants' accounts suggest that being “dark-skinned” and “lesbian, gay, or bisexual” is unacceptable in St Lucian culture. These findings support existing literature that skin-shade identity is largely perceived as superior to most other identities, and a primary identity from which all other identities and behavioral expectations are structured (e.g., Kruijt, 2005; Ford, 2008, 2013; Rosario, 2011; St-Hilaire, 2011; Shirk and Edmond-Poli, 2012; Flynn, 2012). This sexuality and race nexus might challenge some dark-skinned LGB people to demonstrate the authenticity of their ethno-racial identity because of their non-heterosexuality.…”

“…Within various Black-American and Black-Caribbean communities there is a racialized understanding of “(ab)normal” and “acceptable” sexual behavior for black persons (Fuss, 1995 ; Napier, 2000 ; Carbado, 2001 ; Alexander, 2004 ; Kornegay, 2004 ; Hunter, 2005 ; Silverman, 2005 ; Ford, 2006 , 2008 , 2013 ; Thomas, 2007 ; Grosch, 2008 ; Wahab and Plaza, 2009 ; Das Nair and Thomas, 2012 ). Numerous communities perceive homosexuality as “something that white people do” and “blacks should not do” (Carbado, 2001 , p. 250).…”

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“…Through enslavement, reconstruction, Jim Crow, and post-modern society, a set of social, economic, and political policies have made it exceedingly difficult to form Black families, keep them intact, and help them flourish. Whether it has been selling children away from parents during slavery, Tolnay, 2000;Ford, 2012;Keels, 2014;Packer-Williams, 2009). In large part, this is due to the structural absence of Black men, which is primarily a product of high incarceration rates, high unemployment rates, lower life expectancies, and a disparate wage and educational gap between Black men and Black women (Banks, 2011;Ford, 2012;Mouzon, 2015).…”

“…Whether it has been selling children away from parents during slavery, Tolnay, 2000;Ford, 2012;Keels, 2014;Packer-Williams, 2009). In large part, this is due to the structural absence of Black men, which is primarily a product of high incarceration rates, high unemployment rates, lower life expectancies, and a disparate wage and educational gap between Black men and Black women (Banks, 2011;Ford, 2012;Mouzon, 2015). With respect to education, Banks (2011) finds that the ratio of Black female to male college graduates is two to one, which means that more Black women appear to be reaching middle-class status than men.…”

“…With respect to education, Banks (2011) finds that the ratio of Black female to male college graduates is two to one, which means that more Black women appear to be reaching middle-class status than men. In essence, educational mismatch, or gendered disparities in college graduation rates, significantly impact partner selection and marriage rates (Bulcroft & Bulcroft, 1993;Collins, 2005;Dixon, 2009;Ford, 2012;Keels, 2014;Packer-Williams, 2009). …”