Black at the UA: Part 8--All Mixed Up: Interracial Relationships

As a country, we’ve come a long way in terms of racial equality and  discrimination. Many people are moving past racial stereotypes and becoming more open minded and understanding of other cultures. The increase in interracial couples and children is proof that Americans are supporting this idea.

Interracial relationships can be a touchy subject for some. The thing is, they are nothing new. During slavery, owners would have sexual relationships with their slaves. Though they weren’t always consensual relationships, they existed nonetheless. Movies have been made, and plays and books have been written on this subject.  It’s something that interests many people historically and socially.

From my experience with interracial relationships, I’ve never put a lot of thought into the race of the person I was dating. If they were cute, they were cute, it just didn’t matter their race. As I got older, I found that this didn’t always translate to my partner or their families.

My sophomore year I dated someone outside of my race and I had the opportunity to meet his parents on several occasions. They were very nice and welcoming and always seemed to be very accepting of their son’s and I relationship.

A year after we ended our relationship, I found this to be different. Our break up was unexpected and he told me it was because his father didn’t approve of him dating a black girl. Because of his father’s constant jokes and taunting, he felt that we’d be better off as friends.

Though I liked him a lot I had to learn the hard way that prejudice still exists and that it can easily overpower someone’s feelings for his partner in a relationship.

Dating interracially is often seen as taboo in many cultures. In America, it has grown into a more accepted idea. According the most recent census data, 10 percent of  all opposite-sex married couples differ in race. This is a 28 percent jump from 2000.  With these numbers, it is obvious that America is taking its “melting pot” reputation to a new level. With schools now being more integrated, there are now more minorities going to college and entering the professional world. This is helping to change the notions and ideas many have about different ethnicities. Citizens are finding it hard to blame their hesitation to date outside of their race on  the socioeconomic statuses of their counterparts. So, they have stopped blaming and started embracing.

I conducted a survey this week and shared it on my Twitter and Facebook. 71 people responded and the results were quite interesting.  About 53 percent said they had dated outside of their race but when asked if they would consider marrying someone of a different race, 21 percent said no. Only 5.6 percent felt that race was a “deal breaker” when it came to dating where 28 percent said that race was completely unimportant in determining who to date.

These numbers hardly reflect a precisely accurate opinion of our peers, but it does give us some sort of idea of how we are viewing each other in terms of relationships and race.   We’re working toward a greater good in terms of appreciation, love, life, equality and education. So try “Something New” and get your “Jungle Fever” on.

*These numbers are from a personal study that was in an uncontrolled environment. Therefore, inaccuracies may exist. 

Questions Asked: 

1) Do you know anyone in an interracial relationship?

2) Have you ever dated outside of your race?

3) Would you ever date outside of your race?

4) Would you seriously consider dating someone one who was of a different race?

5) How important is one's race to you when dating? 

A Little Bit of Something

Well, I'm just going to babble because I have no idea what I want to write about. All I know is that I just want to write. 

For the last few weeks, I've been feeling extremely at ease. I've been feeling content. I mean, shoot, happy! Which has never, ever happened before. I've never considered myself a happy person. No matter how "joyful" I seemed, I was never truly happy. There was always something lingering in the back of my mind that prevented me from letting go, and letting God take control. 

It's been difficult for me to even confess this for I'm afraid that I'll jinx myself. That in a day or two, this will go away. That something will so overly disappoint me that I'll sink back into a feeling of defeat and frustration. But so far it hasn't happened. And I'm blaming it on my new relationship with God. My new devotion to Him and His plans for me. I'm not a preachy, evangelical, "turn from your evil ways" type and felt that my belief in God was MY belief and therefore MY relationship that didn't have to be voiced. Well, as a Christian, you have to be free of fear. And my tendency to stray away from discussing God and our relationship, definitely spawned from fear. Fear of being labeled, fear of being called a "hypocrite" because of a few cuss words I spewed last week, or whatever. But I've realized all of these things meant that I have to do a better job of living through and for God. 

After making the decision to truly do my best to put my best foot forward and walk with Him, my burden was lifted. My blessings came one after another. From financial blessings, to finding someone who makes me feel special and is also devoted to Him, to near strangers being overly generous simply because they believe I have been a blessing to them in some way. It's like every time I'm falling, God is there to make sure I never hit the ground. Cushioning the blow one blessing at a time.

So, to sum it up. Be happy. Don't worry. 

-R. 

Black at the UA Pt. 7- Pleasantly Profiled--Not So Post Racial

So we’ve got a black president. We’ve got black colleges and universities. We’ve got successful black entrepreneurs and CEOs. I mean with all of this success flying around, racism must be dead, right?

Though the success of many African-Americans has marked milestones and  shown that the minds of many Americans are now open and understanding, it causes confusion among the colorblind that racism is no longer existent. At least, racism regarding African Americans.

Racism has only evolved, it hasn’t died. With that evolution, the idea of what racism means and how it is displayed has become very distorted. Most people think that to be “racist” or to exhibit racism, one must go around yelling racial slurs, or walk around yelling, “white power.” Though people still do this, there are so many underlying feelings that many people have about different races that constitute racism or racial prejudice. Those feelings can be translated in everyday life, through everyday activities and conversations.

Most recently, we’ve seen it play a role in the tragic shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Fla.  There is great debate as to whether race played a role in the killing or not. The suspect, George Zimmerman, is hispanic, and claimed that Martin looked “suspicious.” Martin was wearing a hoodie while walking down the street toward his father’s home. The only items he was armed with was a can of sweet tea and Skittles

Geraldo Rivera, on Fox and Friends, stated that he felt Trayvon’s wearing of a hoodie contributed to his being shot. This created an uproar from people e v e r y w h e r e. But what about a hoodie makes one so suspicious? A hoodie is a piece of attire worn by many different people, regardless of race, sex, or socio-economic background. In an article by ABC News on Rivera apologizing for his original statement, Rivera said his intention was to warn “urban parents to realize that clothing their children wear…could appear menacing to people who don’t know them and could put them unnecessarily in danger.”

“Urban” is the key word here. Though the accident took place in the suburbs,  and though non-urban kids wear hoodies all of the time. In my opinion, Trayvon wouldn’t have looked so suspicious if he was white.

UA graduate student, Sidney Fussell, says that he has experienced racial profiling first hand. He recalled an incident where he was riding in a car with a friend who was white, and they were pulled over for a rolling stop sign. “The cop who pulled us over asked for the driver’s ID, then my ID, runs them both, then gave them both back. A few moments later, another cop comes up and asks for my ID again, not the drivers, and ran my ID again. This was obviously racially motivated to me. I mean, it’s a white guy in a nice car…and then me,” said Fussell.

Though nothing ever came of it, it only adds to Fussell’s other experiences. Would you say this is racism? Would you be offended if any of these things happened to you?

What you must keep in mind is that it’s easy to say that race doesn’t matter when you have never had to experience the prejudice that tells you that it does. It’s easy to say racism doesn’t exist when you’re of the majority. And it’s easy to be color blind when you are not a person of color. Acknowledging race is not racism, and pretending that one’s race doesn’t exist is a flawed idea that only upholds ignorance. It’s all about embracing, understanding and avoiding stereotypes, and treating all people as they way you’d like to be treated — like a human being.

Black at the UA--Part 6 Education Devalued: A Perpetual Crisis

It was a week ago when I walked into the Union Theatre, where students sat still and quiet, listening and watching the film that was playing on the large pull down screen. The film, “State of the Black College Student,” was highlighting the perspectives of various black college students and their experiences attending higher education institutions.  From student loan debt to black flight, it seemed that this film touched on many key factors that negatively affect the black student and in turn the black community.

Dr. Darryl Scriven, the mastermind behind the film, was featured sharing his opinion of how the educational system in America, especially in context to minorities, was flawed.  The film blasted devastating statistics such as 14 percent of blacks graduating from high school and college, 35 percent of blacks attending a higher education program and 81 percent of blacks having vast student loans after graduation.

Student loans are ruining the lives of college graduates one dollar at a time, and while any graduate deals with the struggles of finding a job after leaving college, it seems even more difficult for a minority who is swamped in student debt while constantly fighting the prejudice that is a result of  institutionalized racism.

Some of the damage comes from the lack of knowledge that is needed when borrowing, while the rest comes from the huge interest rates that dig into the pockets of new graduates. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if more jobs were available, but this economy is still in recovery from a recession, and hope for hire can seem like a distant reality.

With this, we ask the question, “what counts as a profitable education?”

Dr. Scriven says we should “measure it in the power the graduates wield. If there is no power, [then] the value [of the education] is suspect.”

And I agree. Education isn’t a diploma. It’s the power we gained while earning a diploma. It’s the endless hours we’ve spend immersing and enlightening our minds in an array subjects. Some of which we can say changed our lives, and others we wished would be scratched from the curriculum.

Despite this, the only way that any student will ever become successful in his or her own right is by having both knowledge and tangible skills. Otherwise, it won’t happen.

This simple, yet powerful fact is one that many within the black community have yet to learn. There is a cycle of lack of motivation as well as apathy that exists, and it is tearing down that which many have spent years building up.

Many will receive a degree and will not ever return to the communities where they grew up. They keep moving forward and never look back. They simply forget about their roots and who supported them.

It’s a bad habit that has a tendency to tarnish the success of African-Americans everywhere, but this habit has formed out of the idea that “the community of their education doesn’t value the communities of their origin.”

As I grow and prepare to graduate, this idea rings more and more true every day. I mean, that’s why I am here, right? To get a degree, make money and not settle for a mediocre job in small-town Arkansas?

Well, I may not go back, but I’ll give back, for I don’t want to be a statistic, and I know of others who have the same ambition. As young students, we must educate and motivate each other. It’s the only way we can pay our debts.

Black at the UA-Part 5 Black History--It's Your History Too

February.  It’s the month of red and pink hearts, cupid and “I love you.” It’s also the month that carries the honor, celebration and education of black History.

When we first learn of Black History Month, it’s exciting and interesting. But by the time high school rolls around, it becomes an annoying celebration that sparks debate and forces you to learn about black people who aren’t even alive.

And to add to it, students are taught the same thing about the same people every year. The legacies of Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, George Washington Carver, Colin Powell, Oprah and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., among others,  are drilled into the minds of both the majority and minority until they are blue in the face, or should I say black in the face.

One month simply isn’t enough in terms of education, especially for those who know absolutely nothing about black history, including blacks themselves.

The solution: stop relying on February to teach an important part of American history, and utilize the other  eight months of the academic year to teach well-rounded and accurate American history. This includes the enslavement of Africans and African Americans.

Growing up, I noticed many of my history curriculums excluded slavery. I found that this was a decision made in fear of striking the wrong cord with blacks. Meanwhile, memorizing the Declaration of Independence and the Gettysburg Address was top priority, but the Emancipation Proclamation and 15th Amendment were items that could forgo discussion.

After adding my African American studies major, I found that I was completely deprived of a fulfilling and well-rounded education because I never learned the full story. And I found that I wasn’t alone.

I encourage anyone, no matter your race or ethnicity, to take at least one African American studies course. They are far from one-sided and are completely unbiased. Most are surprised of what they learn about others and themselves.

It’s obviously inefficient to try to crush hundreds of years of heritage and appreciation in a single month. The spectrum of black history seems to be constricted to the aforementioned people and some exceptions.

Why deprive young students of a truth that should be known? What good does it do?

It only perpetuates ignorance and allows for shallow, stereotypical thoughts to breed and be made into insensitive reasons to dislike or have prejudice against minorities.

For the most part, when you know better, you do better, and we as a multiracial and multicultural nation need to do much better in educating ourselves and embracing our unique differences.

I encourage all students on campus to take a look at the programs and events that will be taking place this month.

The “State of the Black College Student” address will be held tonight at 7 p.m. in the Union Theatre, the Essence of History Fashion Show will be held from 7-9 p.m. in the Verizon Ballroom on Thursday, February 9 and the 4th Annual Black History Month Showcase will be taking place at 7p.m. at the Jones Center in Springdale.

For more information on what the UA and Fayetteville community is up to this month, go to aast.uark.edu.

Dust In Dusk

Beauty.
Bones.
Hearts.
Homes.


Named as she roams. 
Free falling alone.
She suffers in thirst.
Gripping the relief of her torture tightly.


She's afraid of the night.
She vows to do what's right.


She's dying to stay.
Dying as she waits.
Even in sundown,
She fights for the day.


And she hopes, like dust, she isn't wisped away. 

If Not For The Wind

What it was and what it is.
What is blood when blown in the wind? 
Spitting its way into the world,
it captures the eye of an unexpecting girl.


She is curious, but does that also mean bold?
She somehow feels warmth against the harsh cold.
Perhaps it's the warmth that once belonged to the lost red?
Or the burning curiosity that ignites inside her head? 


Whatever the cause, it's painfully consuming.
She turns away, but the sight is still looming.
She feels the fear of that which is lost.
The wandering coagulation that must leave for rot.


She knows it's not fair; 
The red in the hair. 
But blood is the life which is taken without care.


Hot then cold.
Curious or bold?
Live and let die?
Smile then cry.
Bittersweet blood, you're now free.
Fly.