MOST READ
photonews
Haiti Quake Day 7: A Mass Exodus
Thousands of earthquake refugees are fleeing to the countryside or trying to get on
Kabul Attack Shows Resilience of Afghan Militants 
Man Who Shot Pope in 1981 Is Freed Popular Searches
Don't Bring Home A White Boy!
- Thursday, February 18, 2010 - Hayat Mohamed
- Viewed 136 Times
-
- Rating: by 0 users
"Men lie. Women lie. Numbers don't."
How may have been referring to record sales but I'm referring to the overwhelming statistics facing black women in America: 70% of us are single and 42% have never been married. To make matters worse, the pool of black men to choose from is steadily decreasing as more black men continue to marry outside their race -- 1 in 6 to be exact. So, why are the majority of black women still stuck on the idea of only dating black men when the numbers are clearly not in their favor?
According to Karyn Langhorne Folan, there are a number of reasons, and in her book, "Don't Bring Home a White Boy," she closely examines the deep rooted issues black women have about dating outside their race. The former Harvard Law professor turned author became interested in issues surrounding interracial relationships after she married her Irish American husband in 2004. From slavery to selling out; sexual myths to family reactions -- you name it, and Karyn covers it in an insightful and witty manner.
Black Voices caught up with Karyn to discuss her reason for writing, "Don't Bring Home a White Boy" and how black women can benefit from reading it. You may not walk away thinking, "I need to find me a white boy!" but I guarantee you will walk away with an open mind and an open heart.
Right now if every black man and every black woman married each other there would be 1.8 black women left over and we know that's not happening. We know that black men are marrying out; we know that a lot of black men aren't interested in marriage; we know that there are black men and black women -- and certainly people of every race and every gender -- who are gay or mentally unstable, unhealthy or incarcerated who are unavailable for marriage anyway. To me the solution was just obvious.
What do you say to women who prefer to date black men over white men because they're more likely to understand them?
Do you feel black men can benefit from reading this book?
I am not here for black men. That is beyond the mission I have been given. Black men can do whatever they want to do. My father was a black man and he was a wonderful father, he was married to my mother until the day he died -- 46 years. He was an excellent role model and I love him. My brother is a black man and I have many black male friends so I am not saying "I hate black men"; that is not where I'm coming from. The mission that I have been given is to talk about black women and too often when we talk about black people we end up talking about black men and we don't talk about black women. We assume somehow that if we talk about black men than the issues of black women are addressed in the same realm and they're really not.
What advice would you give black women interested in attracting men of other races?
What do you want women to walk away with after reading this book'?
 |
|