Dating Dilemma

I think that finding a partner is a beautiful thing. My friend once said “we all are low key looking for love”. I laughed at this comment, but as i lay in my bed later that night reflecting on what happened that day, I realised he was right. We are all looking for the special someone to be with. Personally, I have never had a problem with interracial relationships. Hence I found the comments made by the women in the journal “Looking behind the stereotypes of the Angry Black Woman” on the issue of interracial relationships very interesting.

One of the women says “My family raised me to [be] very proud of who I am, a Black woman, and they instilled in me the belief that I would never want to be with anyone but a strong Black man.” I often hear many of my friends say that they want to be with a strong Black man. And i completely agree you can be with whoever you want to be with. But i have always found it problematic that Black people (usually) only consider dating someone from the same race, someone who is Black.  Some of my friends (I am African) were shocked when i told them that in looking for a partner, I am not set on a particular race. They asked me,

• “why don’t you want to be with a black person? You know you are black right ? That  you (as in both of us )  would have different cultures?”  

I understand completely that dating someone from the same race is relatively easy. You might not have to explain certain aspects of your culture to him. You would not be asked questions when you take to cultural festivals or family gatherings. that’s great .

However, I think that when people disapprove or look down on interracial relationships, they put race before love. Love is kicked to the side. I think that if one finds love with someone, they should be allowed to have whatever kind of relationship they want. People should not be ostracised or asked to prove their allegiance to their race because they are in a relationship or are married to someone else.