Woman Explores Father's Study of Interracial Couples in New Memoir

Dorothy Roberts' book "The Mixed Marriage Project" examines her dad's research on interracial relationships in Chicago.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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NPR's Michel Martin interviews professor Dorothy Roberts about her new memoir, "The Mixed Marriage Project", which delves into her father's research on interracial couples in Chicago as part of an effort to challenge white supremacy.

Why it matters

Interracial marriages and relationships have long been a contentious social and political issue, with opponents often citing racist ideologies. Roberts' father sought to study these relationships to better understand and counter such prejudices.

The details

In her memoir, Dorothy Roberts explores her father's academic work in the 1960s and 1970s, where he interviewed and studied interracial couples in Chicago in an effort to challenge white supremacist views and stereotypes about these relationships.

  • The research was conducted in the 1960s and 1970s.

The players

Dorothy Roberts

A professor who has written a memoir about her father's research on interracial couples in Chicago.

Michel Martin

An NPR host who interviewed Dorothy Roberts about her new memoir.

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What they’re saying

“In 'Mixed Marriage Project,' a woman explores her dad's study of interracial couples”

— Michel Martin, NPR Host (NPR)

The takeaway

Roberts' memoir sheds light on an important historical effort to challenge racist attitudes towards interracial relationships through academic research and documentation.