By Keyshonna Simmons
We are all fond of the story “Romeo And Juliet” and how they fell in love with each other but could not be together.
Their parents would never condone their marriage because of the hatred between the two rival families.
Could interracial dating be the same as “Romeo and Juliet” in a sense?
Many families still do not allow it. The disappointed stares from a society that says you must be with your own causes couples to hide their love from the public.
As an African American female, all my life I heard that I should be with my own kind. My own family would say I need to be with a Black man and put me down for finding a man outside my race I found attractive. I have heard no one really likes Black girls except Black men.
But this is not my truth.
Growing up, I had to hide who I wanted to be with and was only able to confide in two close cousins when I spoke to men of other races.
This problem is prevalent in almost all communities, whether they are white, Black, Hispanic, Asian and so on. Some parents even attempt to set their children up with who they deem the best fit, all the while failing to realize their children are unhappy with the choice being forced upon them.
It is an exclusionary view of love and it must be left in the past.
There is nothing wrong with dating outside of your race. Your relationship should not have to abide by the requirements of those who are outside of it. What matters is not your partner’s skin color, but that they treat you right, respect you, and build you up.
As a Christian woman, I strongly believe color is irrelevant because God does not see color. I believe God does not care what color you are and neither should we. Yet, we do.
Interracial dating is a beautiful thing. Skin color should not determine whether or not a person is a good enough partner. Color is not personality.
Interracial couples should not have to hide their affection from their parents and families due to judgements like Romeo and Juliet. Race should never condemn a loving relationship.
As long as this issue continues to evade publicity, it will continue to be swept under the rug and will be a problem forever.
