One Blood

Although some ethnic groups in the United States have lived side by side for centuries, generally speaking, little meaningful interaction has occurred between them. [1] This observation was certainly true during the era of the Civil Rights movement, [2] and unfortunately remains a factor in the early twenty-first century. For example, a 2016 Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) Survey determined: Fully three-quarters (75%) of white Americans report that the network of people with whom they discuss important matters is entirely white, with no minority presence. . . . Approximately two-thirds (65%) of black Americans report having a core social network that is composed entirely of people who are also black. . . . Less than half (46%) of Hispanics report that their social network includes only other people who also identify as Hispanic. . . . [3] These problematic numbers reflect one of the most enduring challenges of race relations in the United States: the failure to com...

Win a Copy of Equally Yoked! Win a copy of Equally Yoked (Wipf and Stock, 20016), my book on multiethnic marriage! Here’s how:   Select one of my blog posts that you enjoyed reading and either place a link to it on your Facebook page or on your Twitter feed. Reply to this blog post (in the "enter your comment" area down below), telling what you liked about the article that you posted. The contest begins Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 9:00 p.m., and ends Thursday, March 29, 2018, at 9:00. p.m. (CST). The winner will be selected at random, and your name will be mentioned in the reply section of this blog post. At that time, I will provide you with an email address to which you can send me your mailing address, and your copy of Equally Yoked will be mailed to you. Restriction #1: My relatives are ineligible to win this contest. Restriction #2: You must reside in the United States. For information regarding Equally Yoked , click here: https://www.amazon.com/Equ...

“Multiracial” people tend to be an excellent source of intercultural insights for two reasons. First, most interracially married parents have learned how to maneuver cultural “differences and conflicts,” [1] and their offspring are the beneficiaries of this wealth of practical information. Second, they have weathered more than their fair share of ethno-cultural issues as well. Multiethnic people who understand the value of the important skills they have developed will prove to be indispensable in the arena of race relations and racial reconciliation.             In my opinion, one important key to improved race relations is not pretending that cultural differences do not exist, but learning how to view these differences through the proper lens. Beverly Tatum, an expert in race relations, wrote, “My White college students sometimes refer to someone as Black in hushed tones, sometimes whispering the word as though it were a secret...

The subject of “race” inarguably has been a point of contention throughout United States history. At no point have Anglos, African Americans, and various other ethnic groups enjoyed adequately harmonious relations. Because of the enmity that existed in his day, French diplomat and historian Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) suggested that people who longed for amicable relations between African Americans and Anglos were “fostering a delusion. My reason does not lead me to believe that possibility, nor do I see anything in the facts to support the idea.” [1]             The rise of scientific racism in the early twentieth century provided ammunition for this argument, reinforcing the misconception that different ethnic groups were incompatible. [2] This approach to ethnicity inevitably led to greater polarization and conflict, [3] which is why the early 1900s was such a turbulent time for race relations. As a result, the concep...

            Numbers 12:1-15 reveals that during the time of Israel’s desert wanderings, Moses married a Cushite woman. Scholars often identify the region of Cush as modern-day Ethiopia, which signifies she was of African extraction. [1] The woman likely was part of the mixed multitude who escaped Egypt alongside the sons of Israel (Exod. 12:38), and her non-Israelite background prompted Moses’ siblings Miriam and Aaron to speak out against him (Num. 12:1). [2]             When Miriam and Aaron jealously objected that the Lord had spoken through them as well, God ordered the three to gather before Him in Israel’s tent of meeting (Num. 12:2, 4). He chastised Moses’ siblings and declared that their brother had a special relationship with Him. Only he had beheld “the form of Yahweh” (Num. 12:8). Due to her presumptuous arrogance, God struck Miriam with leprosy so her skin became “as white as snow” (Num...