In 2019, interracial couples are not so much a phenomenon anymore. Some of the most powerful celebrity couples we see are interracial: Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, Chrissy Teigan and John Legend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Despite these idols on TV, there is still some hesitation before entering into a relationship with someone outside their race. In particular, I’m talking about black women.
For one, there is the idea of breeding black. While colorism is still very prevalent in American society, there are many black girls who embrace dark skin and type 4 hair. So much in fact, that they don’t want to have a child with anyone but a black man to produce these characteristics. We are moving away from the era of “I want my child to have good hair” to accepting our child for whatever genes they may inherit.
Then, of course, there is the hope of finding your “Black King.” You know what I’m talking about, the one with the smooth chocolate skin and the waves on swim.
From an instagram poll, 25% of black women said that they did not want to date outside of their race. When I asked why, some of the main answers I got were wanting black children, not being interested or finding other races attractive, or simply not being able to see themselves with another race.
About 26% said that they didn’t think their parents would be okay with them marrying someone outside their race, which is valid. Although our generation is much more open, our parents generation still stigmatizes the idea of dating anyone other than a black man.
On the other hand, there is about 75% of black women who are okay with dating or marrying outside their race. In our current generation, we are more desensitized to the cultural norms and standards placed on us by the generations before.
As someone who believes in soulmates, I believe that love can come in any form or skin color. I’m not saying to give up on your search for your black king, but also don’t close off your options. You never know who could end up being the love of your life.