Dating while black: What will grandma think if you bring home someone of a different race?

Apr 28, 2018

Since time immemorial, interracial dating has been a tricky topic. Our parents grew up in a culture that despised or did not support a black man marrying a white woman and vice-versa. However, with time, people have started viewing things differently and BWWM dates are more popular now than they have ever been. However, this doesn’t mean that interracial dating is not being faced with challenges even now. Our parents and grandparents still don’t understand how someone would leave his/her race to go and marry from a different race.

It is very common to hear stories of how white women took their black boyfriends home to meet their families and relatives. Most of these women explain how their extended families perceived their boyfriends as outsiders and some could outrightly refuse to allow such an association. In most cases, such a black partner feels unwanted, despised and such relationships fails at times.

However, there are other stories, where although the extended family is skeptical at first, they end up accepting their black son-in-law and later actually express their shock after learning that the black boyfriend was actually better than they expected.

These stories are the same even in black households. This culture has been there for long and it seems that it won’t just disappear.

However, when it comes to relationships and interracial match, it is important to note that it is not possible to judge people by their skin color. People can only be judged by their personalities and beliefs. There have been cases of very successful interracial weddings and on the other hand, couples from the same race have been involved in divorces, conflicts and even fights.

It is true that your grandma might not welcome the idea of you marrying from a different race, but remember that, you are the one who is going to stay in that relationship. This means that you are not marrying a race, but a specific person. Race, therefore, should not be an issue when it comes to dating and relationships.