I was born and raised in a small town where I was taught that blue birds do not belong in red birds’ nests. I never understood why though; they were both birds, just different colors. If they got married, would that not make a really beautiful purple bird? I never got the big deal with interracial dating and why everyone was so against it. I went to a middle and high school dominated by white people with very few outliers. We were indirectly taught that white people should date white people, black people should date black people, and so on and so on. In high school though, I questioned this logic, but I kept it to myself knowing deep down I was attracted to a race that was not my own.
In college, we tend to try different things, rebel a little bit, and discover who we are meant to be. It was in college that I fully saw that judging someone based on the color of their skin was not okay with me. It was in college that I discovered for myself that I am really just not attracted to red birds, only the blue ones. It was in college that I realized it was okay to be with someone who did not match me. It was not wrong, I was not breaking a rule, and to be honest, it’s just my personal preference. Let’s get real honest and stop denying ourselves happiness with another racially different person because you are afraid of what the public and your friends and family will think. I was stuck in that hole for a long time, and let me tell you, it is not worth it.
Let’s say that you are in an interracial relationship. Realize that it is going to be hard. Know that people will look at you differently and you will get asked a lot of questions. However, be courageous. Walk with your head high, because you are breaking down barriers that influencers like Richard and Mildred Loving spent years also trying to accomplish.
You must know that interracial relationships do not solve racism. It shows that you are open-minded and willing to step out of line, but it does not solve anything. Yes, interracial relationships are helping us reach racial equality for all, but we still have quite a ways to go. Have you seen the headlines recently? In an absolute perfect world, race would not matter, and people who are in interracial relationships know this, and are joining the fight to end segregation.
So if you are reading this article and are attracted to someone who is not your skin color, here is your boost of encouragement. Ask them out on a date. Call them on the phone, and get the conversation going. Some of my best friends are not white, and I love it that way. I get new perspectives on cultures I never would have seen otherwise. Yes, when I told my parents that I was only attracted to black men, it was hard. However, they now know the real me and have accepted that it it okay, and there’s nothing wrong with it, even though it may be nontraditional. Know that you are not messed up in the head, you are not sick and that you are proving what ancient history says is wrong. Trust me, it is really not that big of a deal; be with who want to be with!