Don't Bring Home a White Boy by Karyn Langhorne Folan: Book Review

According to the review done by the TBT, Folan in her book, "Don't Bring Home A White Boy" is criticized by members of the black community (Both male and female) for being married to her white husband, Kevin [of four years].

Folan, a well educated woman of color was married to an African American man for several years and that marriage ended in divorce. She says that "People tend to treat you as if you have lost your right to speak on black issues," according to the article.

Single black women with college degrees outnumber single black men with the same educational background 3 to 1, which according to Folan makes the pickings for a compatible mate rather slim.

Folan tells of a situation when she and her husband (A European American) were in their car at a stop-light and a car pulled up beside them, honked and the passengers shouted out, "Come back Sister!"

Folan also tells of being taught at home that racial loyalty should take precedence over personal happiness. She points out the 1960s movie, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," being played out but only in reverse.

Among many things that Folan says that people have called her are: "Sell-out," "White-acting," and "A person who hates blacks."

One can only stop and think for a second, "What does this say to the white women who marry black men?"

Are the African American men who marry European American women sell-outs too? Yet, there are very few successful African American men in the public eye who marry within their own race; Will Smith is an exception, but even Montel chooses European American women to wife and neither Tiger's wife nor any of his many mistresses were African American.

I will never forget an article I read in the Florida Courier that criticized European American families for not accepting African American males into their ranks when they are dating a sister or daughter-- the same article reminded readers that Martin Luther King Jr was not the only African American leader, but that there was also Malcolm X [Forgetting that Malcolm later recanted his position before he was shot by his own group].

European American women who are not attracted to African American men are called out as racists-- yet according to Folan, African American women are criticized for dating out-side their race.

It may not be so much the color as the attitude and the trend, as there have been many African American men that I thought, "Wow! He's hot!" but then when he opened up his mouth, any potential attraction I may have had immediately vanished. There are a lot of beautiful young boys who unfortunately spend more time pulling up their pants than they do opening doors for young ladies, so no, there's no way I'd let my daughter date you. And that thing about, "Oh! So what? You don't date black guys?!" No, actually you noticed that I was white before I noticed that you were black...And, well, errm, the thing is, you just aren't that cute....