Single, Black and Dating Outside Your Race

posted by Michele Olson



Ever see a 1967 movie starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn called “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” The story revolves around a couple whose attitudes are challenged when their daughter brings home a fiancé who is black. Since this was big news way back in 1967, you would think interracial dating would hardly be an afterthought. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, especially when it comes to African American women dating outside their race.

Single Black Women Being Urged to Date Outside Race is the title of a recent Washington Post article by staff writer DeNeen L. Brown. She took a look at a new book out by Karyn Langhorne Folan. Folan is the author of "Don't Bring Home a White Boy: And Other Notions That Keep Black Women From Dating Out," published this month by Karen Hunter, an imprint of Pocket Books.
The “now” Mrs.Folan wrote the book because of the reaction to a blog article she wrote on the subject. She wrote it from the perspective of someone who was tired of waiting for a good black man who matched her education level to come along. She decided to date anyone that seemed of interest to her, whatever race they happened to be.
Here are the facts; single black women with college degrees outnumber single black men with college degrees almost 3 to 1 in major urban areas such as Washington, according to a 2008 population survey by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Translation: those are not good numbers when it comes for single black women hoping to marry a black man with a college degree. Karyn suggests looking elsewhere if you want a better chance of marrying. “Elsewhere” is outside your race.
DeNeen Brown writes in her article: “By promoting interracial love for some black women, Folan explains that she is not suggesting that there aren't any good, single black men out there, or that every educated single black woman will not find an educated black mate. She is not bashing all black men or implying that all black women are aiming for the altar. The writer, mom and Harvard-educated lawyer says that she is just offering a reasonable solution to the shortage of available black men. “

A blogger, Lisa Vazquez also writes about this subject at blackwomenblowthetrumpet.blogspot.com. Other blogs on the subject include BlackFemaleInterracialMarriage.com and Dateawhiteguy.blogspot.com.

According to the 2008 population survey, interracial marriages have doubled in the past decade. About 73 percent of black/white marriages are between black men and white women, according to the survey.

The article cites many of the feelings about the subject from the African American community. It’s worth a read. If you are a single African American woman, what has been your experience?