An Article About Racial History and a Look into an Interracial Marriage

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of an interracial relationship? Most people I have asked that same question of reply with the answer of a black man dating a white woman. In America, there is still a stigma attached to dating "outside" of your race or cultural background with skin color being the dominant reason for society's views on and reasons for racism. It seems, from my stand point that the stigma is mostly apparent in black/white relationships. I am not sure if it is the difference in the skin color that shocks most people or the sudden realization that the world is changing from that of the segregated nation many of our parents experienced only decades ago.

Not only do those in interracial relationships get the stares and remarks from members of the white community, but also people in the black community as well. Although looks and cross words are the least of some people's worries, it does make the fact that in this day in age you can't walk down the street with the one you love without someone disrespecting your life, relationship, color, happiness, and even your children very real. While the 2006 census statistics show 286,000 black men were married to white women only 117,000 were white men married to black women. Do the statistics reflect one social stigma within another? In my opinion...it is a resounding yes. So what leads to these discriminations within already existant terrible stereotypes of interracial couples? I myself am not quite sure, but what I am sure of is that it most certainly is an issue and does happen.

As a young, black female in an interracial marriage my husband and myself have both experienced racism and social stereotypes from family, strangers, and co-workers. Which is the most hateful and hurtful is hard to say. However, it is very sobering and saddening when family makes rude comments and disrespects your happiness. Now from my side of the family my mother is the worst as far as I am concerned about her comments, and his family is the opposite of the spectrum. They are so sweet, polite and welcoming. My husband's family, in my humble opinion, is what any lady would want if they could choose in-laws. Therefore in that respect I am very lucky.

I often feel very angry, frustrated, and sad that mine doesn't greet him in the same way. As I have explained, it's mostly my mother who is that way. All of my brothers date interracially, and I have never had a problem with that neither as family or as a black female. Increasingly I have seen that many black males who I have known or run into object to a white male dating or marrying a black female. I don't have too many problems as far as the family objecting, because I am very limited when dealing with my mother and brothers when it comes to the older ones.

My younger brother and myself are very close and we both recognize the social difficulties of interracial dating as well as the problems we both have with my mother. That is another story altogether which I am sure many people can identify with. As far as my racial background, like many young african americans, it is diverse with racial mixing and I dare say it marriage. My husband's background, at least what he knows of it, doesn't seem as mixed but he has said that it is somewhat. There seems to mostly be a problem in our area which is southern Illinois and western Kentucky concerning race.

I have chatted with people of all different races and cultures from different states and it doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in other places as it is in my area and the southern states. As a matter of fact, most of the white people I talked to really didn't believe that racism still occured these days, and that if it did it was a rare occurence. From my experience, I have been called racial slurs, threatened, and discriminated against at school, in public, and even on the job. Areas in this country are different and discrimination is different when you have to live in skin that not so long ago was hated by most of the country. Even to this day, native americans live on reservations onto which they were forced when whites took their lands. So what does this really say about America when we are supposed to be so much more educated than we were even 10 years ago?

The Emancipation Proclamation declared on January 1, 1863 freed all slaves held on locations in conflict with the U.S. Since the Union soldiers arrived at different days to enforce it, different states have varied days on which black communities celebrate it. In my area, the Black Emancipation celebration is August 8th. Now looking at the black emancipation in retrospect, Independence Day was officially declared July 4th,1776 almost 100 years earlier. The August 8th festival is still met with criticism and mockery in western Kentucky. I have heard nasty remarks from racists, calling it "N***** Day." I have seen employers reject african americans' requests to take vacation time off for this day, and even saying no to the church members who help to sell things at the celebration for charity. This in itself shows just how hateful some people are where I come from and how much farther we need to go to improve things.

Not only should this day be a celebration for people of african descent, it should be a celebration for all people who are in favor of civil rights. We all should come together as the human race and understand that we share this world and all need to uplift humankind. These are my feelings as someone who happens to be in a relationship that, although on the surface we contrast in skin color, is not about race or color for us. Our bond is about love, respect, adoration, and positivity. This article is an introduction to my life, relationship, views, society, obstacles, and triumphs and just like in any life there is more to come.