Race plays out differently in every friendship. And not all interracial relationships involve a Black person and a white person, but ours does.
As Wesley Morris wrote in his memorable review of the forgettable movie Ted 2:
"For people of color, some aspect of friendship with white people involves an awareness that you could be dropped through a trapdoor of racism at any moment, by a slip of the tongue, or at a campus party, or in a legislative campaign. But it’s not always anticipated. You don’t expect the young white man who’s been seated alongside you in a house of worship to take your life because you’re black. Nor do you expect that a movie about an obscene teddy bear would invoke a sexual stereotype forced upon you the way Kunta Kinte was forced to become “Toby.” "
Wesley talked with Aminatou about the trapdoors of interracial friendship, Joe Biden, friend breakups, and yes, Ted 2, in an interview we recorded while writing Big Friendship in 2019.
Links:
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Wesley Morris is a critic-at-large for The New York Times and the co-host of one of our favorite podcasts, Still Processing.
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Pat Parker: For the white person who wants to know how to be my friend
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