The “content” of intergroup contact: lessons from the Denton Women’s Interracial Fellowship

Figures & data

Table 1. Positive outcomes of contact: sample quotes from interviews.

Positive Outcomes	Sample Quotes from Oral History Interviews
Outgroup Knowledge	We found out a lot of things that we didn’t know about the black community. For one thing, we found out that the women, when they went into the stores, couldn’t try on garments before they bought them … We found out … that there were some stores that never hired blacks at all. (Dorothy Adkins, White, OH 705, 9-10)
	The problems, I think, we knew were there. But how they felt about them sometimes was rather eye-opening because we had no way of knowing. (Jean Kooker, White, OH 711, 23)
Prejudice Reduction	I found out that some ideas I had were very hurtful to the other group. I felt that it was really an enlightening experience. (Dorothy Adkins, White, OH 705, 8)
	It served well in order for us to learn that they didn’t feel like they were any greater as far as stature of a person. (Billie Mohair, Black, OH 730, 19)
Cooperation	We went up and down the streets – one black and one white woman – getting signatures of all the owners of the property. Then we went back and petitioned the city to have a program for paving the streets. (Trudy Foster, White, OH 706, 15)
	We had voting drives. We canvassed our churches … We went as a group, and we registered voters. We volunteered to take people to the polls to vote. We went from door to door canvassing for voters. (Willie McAdams, Black, OH 730, 35)
	We would never have any project where we would have maybe all whites working on it … we would have maybe a black and white or two blacks and a white or whatever. (Mae Shephard, Black, OH 742, 15)
Friendship	We are all still good friends. We made long-lasting friendships through this group. (Dorothy Adkins, White, OH 705, 8)
	As relationships grew, we became friends, and we included them in our weddings and our family parties and things like that. And we were also included in theirs. (Willie McAdams, Black, OH 730, 26)
	We’ve been friends, friends, friends down through the years. (Bessie Harden, Black, OH 728, 44)

Table 2. References to positive outcomes in oral history interviews.

	Outgroup Knowledge	Prejudice Reduction	Cooperation	Friendship	Any Positive Outcome
Dorothy Adkins (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Euline Brock (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Carol Riddlesperger (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Jean Kooker (White)	+		+	+	+
Ann Barnett (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Trudy Foster (White)	+		+	+	+
Pat Cheek (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Katherine McGuire (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Pat Gulley (White)	+		+	+	+
Bessie Harden (Black)			+	+	+
Willie McAdams (Black)	+		+	+	+
Billie Mohair (Black)		+	+		+
Betty Kimble (Black)			+	+	+
Catherine Bell (Black)			+	+	+
Norvell Reed (Black)	+		+	+	+
Linnie McAdams (Black)	+	+	+	+	+
Mae Shepherd (Black)	+		+	+	+
Gloria Denmon (Black)	+	+	+	+	+

Table 3. References to positive impacts of conversations about outgroup experiences.

	Conversations About Outgroup Experiences → Outgroup Knowledge	Conversations About Outgroup Experiences → Prejudice Reduction	Conversations About Outgroup Experiences → Cooperation	Conversations About Outgroup Experiences → Friendship	Conversations About Outgroup Experiences → Any Positive Outcome
Dorothy Adkins (White)	+	+	+		+
Euline Brock (White)	+		+		+
Carol Riddlesperger (White)	+		+	+	+
Jean Kooker (White)	+		+		+
Ann Barnett (White)	+	+	+	+	+
Trudy Foster (White)			+		+
Pat Cheek (White)	+	+			+
Katherine McGuire (White)	+	+	+		+
Pat Gulley (White)	+				+
Bessie Harden (Black)			+	+	+
Willie McAdams (Black)	+		+		+
Billie Mohair (Black)		+	+	+	+
Betty Kimble (Black)
Catherine Bell (Black)			+		+
Norvell Reed (Black)	+		+		+
Linnie McAdams (Black)	+		+	+	+
Mae Shepherd (Black)	+				+
Gloria Denmon (Black)	+	+			+