Who We Are

One of the blogs most frequently highlighted at what if? is Booker Rising.  It is such in part because of the wealth of useful statistics, news and information available.  BR is also most meaningful to me because it educates me about the views and opinions of my black brothers and sisters.

Sometimes, though, those opinions do surprise me a bit.  This post by Dell Gines is one of those times.

Interracial relationships do have a somewhat negative impact when viewed from a macro, big picture, level at this time in history.

They do?  Wow.  Read the comments to this post, and you will see that many of BR's readers agree.

My viewpoint, however, is virtually the opposite.  The more interracial relationships, the better.

Why?  Is it because I'd like to see a particular race "die."  Hardly. Well, perhaps in a sense, that's not all that far off the mark.  I'd like to see all the classifications of race become irrelevant.

Despite the centuries of hate, abuse, and terror people of various races have inflicted upon one another because of their dissimilar racial background, the ultimate goal for race is for all to accept one another, irrespective of their physical appearance or genetic make-up.  When I judge to have a relationship with another person, it's based upon their good nature, intelligence, friendliness, and a host of other qualities.  It is not based upon the shape of their eyes, the texture of their hair nor the shade of their skin.

Thus, it would seem to me, the more that people intermarry, making classifications into race more difficult - the more that all of us would focus upon who we are and the content of our character - rather than what we look like and from what lineage we have descended.

I am not proud of myself because I'm short, a brunette, have good teeth and a lousy lower back - and am Caucasian.  Neither am I ashamed of any of it; none of it was within my control.  Thus, I am always most curious why people are either proud - or ashamed - of their ancestry.

To some degree, I can self answer this question.  When a group of people has been victimized and brutalized for a long time by others, I think that it tends to bring those people together out of need and survival instincts.  Blacks in this country so long were treated as "less than" - clearly it makes sense that they would wish to do all that they could to build up self-image and pride.  I suppose that many view a relationship "outside the race" as one that rejects their own and prefers another.

Ultimately, however, I hope that we can one day get to a time when the role of race diminishes so much that it virtually disappears.  Love someone based upon their inner qualities.  Intermarry, and make those superfluous classifications like race disappear.

Comments

[Samantha]

I don't have the kind of angst about interracial relationships that most people express. And I have yet to hear a good articulation of what exactly is jeprodized when a black person enters into a relationship with a non-black person that is preserved when a black person enters into a relationship with another black person. The same goes for any other mix of individuals from any other ethnic groups or races.