Interview: Interracial Marriage as a Baby Boomer
Black female baby boomers grew up in a time where race relations in America were tense. Many black women of this generation are very hesitant to date interracially or marry interracially. I interviewed J.B., a fellow Pink Pill sister who is 62 and interracially married. She discusses her upbringing–remembering the tumultuous 1960’s with the Civil Rights movement in full force, assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luthor King.
While she was raised in humble surroundings in the projects of New York, her father had an MBA and exposed her to culture, high-achieving black professionals, and private school. Like most black women, she thought that she would marry a black man with the qualities present in her father’s character. Problem was, as a highly educated attorney, she struggled with finding black men who fit her expectations.
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Then she found her husband while both were professors at a university. He remained persistent and they married in the late 90’s. At first, J.B. was somewhat reluctant to be seen out in public with her partner. “It still seemed so taboo,” she recalls. Over time she realized her expectations for a quality partner transcended race and took the advice of Martin Luthor King Jr.–judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.
Twenty years later, J.B. is still happily married to her non-black husband and has a few words of encouragement for other black women of her generation who may be reluctant to take the plunge to explore interracial dating and marriage.
Question for baby boomers: Have you had conflicting feelings about interracial dating and marriage because of the generation you grew up in and the history you witnessed?
If you’re interested in dating interracially, InterracialDatingCentral has many potential mates in this age category. Countless marriages have happened that would not have otherwise.
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3 responses to "Interview: Interracial Marriage as a Baby Boomer"
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Pleezu2 says:Posted: 12 Oct 18
Hi Chris. This was a splendid, candid story from a lady who has seen and experienced it all, as you say. Though perhaps you may know of an exception to a relevant issue I have personally been struggling with for some time now. A question arose when i was in a discussion with a Christian based group the other night. -- To do with values! -- Much has, and will be said about this subject (particularly as highlighted by your esteemed guest -- and I thoroughly agree with her views, incidentally) . My question to you, Chris, is whether you figure, or know of ANY relationship that has succeeded in TRANSCENDING diverse traditional cultural values held by an IR couple? ML, Calvin.
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Pleezu2 says:Posted: 12 Oct 18
Hi Chris. This was a splendid, candid story from a lady who has seen and experienced it all, as you say. Though perhaps you may know of an exception to a relevant issue I have personally been struggling with for some time now. A question arose when i was in a discussion with a Christian based group the other night. -- To do with values! -- Much has, and will be said about this subject (particularly as highlighted by your esteemed guest -- and I thoroughly agree with her views, incidentally) . My question to you, Chris, is whether you figure, or know of ANY relationship that has succeeded in TRANSCENDING diverse traditional cultural values held by an IR couple? ML, Calvin. to a point where My question to you is
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Great article, Miss Christelyn. I too have experienced / "wrestled" with those conflicting feelings that J.B. was feeling initially. Born in the early Sixties and pretty much growing up and dating in the Eighties I always was worried about acceptance from family and friends but it made me miserable so I decided I was not going to live a lie and deny my possible future happiness by NOT following my preference of dating Black women exclusively. Happiness is just too important.