Black Poverty Leads White Americans to Blame Racial Inequality on Black Americans Themselves

In this article, we argue that White Americans exposed to Black poverty may rationalize racial inequality in ways that deflect blame from their own racial group. In Study 1 (11,855 participants; 537 counties), White Americans in counties with higher Black poverty rates were ironically more likely to believe in racial equality of opportunity, while Black residents were less likely. In Study 2 (4,297 participants; 227 counties), White Americans living in counties with higher Black poverty attributed racial inequality to more internal causes (lack of effort), which predicted reduced support for racial equity policies. In Study 3 (1,036 participants), White Americans experimentally exposed to Black poverty made more internal attributions, an effect mediated by increased interracial anxiety and identity threat. Effects on external attributions were inconsistent across studies. We discuss how internal attributions function as a psychological tool for White Americans to deflect negative emotions and maintain a positive group identity.