Today’s world is an increasingly different place than it was even 20 years ago. But as a whole, our mindsets are far slower to change than the very ground beneath our feet. This is particularly true for women, whom society seems to make responsible for a significant portion of our moral underpinning, particularly when it comes to ideas surrounding dating and sex. Most women go by the rules to protect their reputations.
But do the same socialized limitations apply to the type of person you are willing to date, or more specifically, that person’s ethnic background? Or is there something else keeping you dating within your racial boundaries? Ultimately, it boils down to your own preferences — but you don’t need a Census-scale study to note that a black woman is far less likely, or even willing, to date outside her race than a black man. It’s time to change all that.
I’m fortunate to have the audacity of exercising my options. The fact is, when I step out with a lady who has an “other” background, I’m not worried about what her parents may think. But I am watching for other black women out the corner of my eye, concerned she might view me as a traitor, or go Sister Soulja and make a snide remark. Deep down, I’ve got this nagging feeling she doesn’t understand, nor does she know what she’s missing. Rather than feeling angry, jealous or betrayed, she should join the team.
So from a brutha to a sistah, here are the reasons you all really need to consider trying “something new.”
