“United” We Stand: Responses to the September 11 Attacks in Black and White

Abstract

The September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States presented a threat to all citizens that seemed unrelated to racial status or internal struggles for power or privilege. This article describes the way in which white and black Americans of military age responded to the 9/11 breach of national security. Our data suggest that their responses were connected to their sense of patriotism and American identity, which, along with this tragedy, was interpreted through a racialized framework. Given that people can interpret the same event in different ways, our findings suggest that without appreciating and validating varied interpretations shaped by multiple racial paradigms, racial tensions may persist, even during times when racial concord would be anticipated.