Reaction to Interracial Intimacy in Race and Ethnic Relations

Abstract - The article discusses interracial dating and marriage through out time highlighting historical figures whom have dated outside their race. The modern opposition isn't from whites or even racists, but from black who feel that the more black people date outside their race they less chance they have of finding the mate.

The article is well written and brings about facts in a manner that makes this information easy to process and understand. Although I feel that the person makes interracial marriage/dating sound like a thing or a fad. It feels the same as reading a report on Rap in 1990 they give it credit while still treating it as though it could loose steam and all together die.

"Nevertheless, the trend toward more interracial marriage is clear, as is growing acceptance of the phenomenon." (Kennedy 26)

The choice of the word "phenomenon" makes this seem like something that everyone just started doing. He presents the fact to show that it only became possible forty years about then says the "trend" is growing. That's like saying in 1913 very few people own cars and have no desire to do so. But later in 1950 they seem just fine with the idea and there is a growing trend of car owners. Well of course there are more interracial couples because it takes time for a new generation to disregard the fact of old and adopt their own ideas. It's not a trend or a phenomenon it's just up until a certain point in time people couldn't do that; now they can so of course they do.

It goes on to talk about how leaders were discredited in the civil rights/black power movement if they took a white spouse. How just having a white girlfriend and make you loose credibility in the community. In addition to taking away from the dating pool.

The dating pool idea is expressed most loudly by black women who feel there is no one left for them to date/marry if all the black men are taken by white women. It's not only the white women though poverty, prison, and sexual orientation also drain water out of the black woman's dating pool. He never delves into the matter of why they are not many white men dating/marring black woman a fact I would find very interesting and would also consider important to this article.

Kennedy, Randall. "Interracial Intimacy." Race and Ethnic Relations.

Ed. Kromkowski, John. McGraw-Hill, 2004. 25-29.