THE RACE OF LOVE....

I am sick of all the gloom and doom, so I think I will put down a lighter post tonight by way of a cut and paste job. Although, I know to some,- especially my single friends-this is a serious subject.

It comes from a a post over at AOL Black Voices named Tonna Bronze (I am guessing it's not her real name), and she would like to pose a question to you sisters:

"Black women, have any of you ever encountered drama from black men or your own families for dating someone outside of your culture - though of the same race? My boyfriend is African, and I'm a black American woman. We have been together for almost four years, and we are happy together. My one black male friend said to me, "Why are these Africans coming over here and taking our women?" He was joking around, but it is still annoying. (He had the nerve to ask me that question after he dated a white Jewish girl). My family was cracking jokes on my boyfriend because he was African (not to his face - but to mine, whenever he was not around). Still, my family loves my boyfriend as a member of the family.It gets old. Why is it ok for black men to date outside of their culture or race? Why are black women looked down upon for dating outside of their race and culture? It's annoying, and people need to stop putting black women in a box.What do you all think? Have you ever dated a black man from another culture? - Let alone, dated someone outside of your race all together??"

I know what Mrs. Field's answer to that question would be: she married one. Although, to be honest, I don't think of myself as being from another culture. I am from another country that's made up of black folks just like my African American brothers and sisters. It just so happens that it was colonized by the Brits. (Although you should try telling that to some of my aunts: Field yu marry an American gurl? Lawd mi did tink yu would marry a gurl from Jamaica like yu modda. Digression alert!) Did I grow up liking different types of food and music? Sure I did. But so did black folks in Louisiana as opposed to black folks in New York or California. I don't think there is any flack among black American folks when we marry across state lines is there? Then why should there be when black folks marry each other from different countries and "cultures"? Some of the happiest couples I know are culturally mixed; so there.