Love in Black and White

A couple casually strolls between a small circle of onlookers standing in a line, not aware of the eyes gazing in their direction with questionable stares. The couple takes a place at the end of the line, remaining engulfed in their own conversation. He, a dark smooth skinned gentleman extends his oversized hand along the small area of his partners slightly bared back. Pulling her closer she smiles at this common touch. In return, she embraces him by cradling his clean shaven face into her porcelain palms. He smiles a bright smile and gazes into her ocean blue eyes, intertwining his mocha colored fingers into her yellow blonde hair. This couple sees no one other then themselves in the line, and on the street. This couple sees through loving eyes fixating their minds on being the only two people in the world. Facing each other, their profiles are connected with an imaginary bolt of electricity that resembles something out of a cartoon, and still they stand alone. Her pointed nose sits above a small slit that opens softly forming the words “I love you”. He leans in close covering her lips with two parallel lumps of soft chocolate tissue, then retracting to his original stance maintaining the emotional gaze into her eyes. As the line slowly inches toward the front door, the couple continues to embrace each other while the crowd begins to comment about the innocent display. “Can’t they do that at home?” “They are so cute.” “What are they trying to do?” “They seem so in love.” “Why can’t they just go somewhere else with all that?” “I wish they’d leave our men alone.” “They must really love each other.” “They probably have beautiful children.” “Why can’t they stay with their own kinds? We’d all be better off.”

Although this situation is completely fictional, these similar actions are all too common in today’s American society. Residing in a country built on a belief that we are “one nation under God” and that indivisibility makes all men equal seems only to be a contradicting idea that subconsciously sways our livelihood in one direction and our hearts in another. The United States is truly states united, however, this unity is only a view from a two way mirror supporting togetherness when necessary but also cushioning a segregated environment where interracial relationships are subliminally opposed.

The United States has acquired the name of the world’s ‘Melting Pot’ for the extension of our arms to the hungry, tired, weak, old, saying with confidence, “You are welcome”, but is this country living up to that philosophy we’ve so greatly adopted? United, yes accepting nationalities from far and abroad, but blacks and whites alike subconsciously live culturally and emotionally segregated.

Although we have the choice to live in a non-segregated society, when love is explored, Black and White find it more applicable to share this experience with other nationalities and stand contorted to love each other. Are we Americans truly comfortable with a pro-choice lifestyle including intimate relationships or have black Americans and white Americans set a new type of subconscious segregation?

Racial socialization has far exceeded the boundaries we once stood behind. We now can eat, sleep, walk, dance, talk amongst each other without the fear of ridicule. We see interracial couples ranging from white and Asian, black and Hispanic, Asian and Hispanic and many more however the black and white combination is still taboo. The union of a Black man and White woman receives many comments and questions before being granted the acceptance of the people and only if thier reasoning behind the union is seen as valid.

We plague our minds with myths of why blacks and whites love each other. We’d rather condemn a love movement rather than praise two people, who happens to be opposite in color, for the willingness to begin a new way of living. Projecting hatred verbally with comments such as, ‘Black men want white women because they are submissive.’ ‘Black women want white men for their money.’ ‘White men and women only like sex with black people.’ As silly as it may sound the words are spoken more often in situations as in the scenario described earlier. I’ve fallen victim to it, but does my opinion matter? Hell no. Even though my frustration with the homicide plague of young black men before they turn twenty-six and 37% of Black men in prison has altered my dream of marrying a “Brotha”; bottom line it’s that couple’s choice to unite and none of my business.

The belief of unity has been turned into a false lingering idea of a corrupted avenue of social justification to not accept the choice to love. Is this a fear of dilution and a sense of extinction of heritage that is causing this festering disease of racism? Are we honestly close minded to benefits of cultural expansion limiting our understandings of one’s way of thinking and living and later to condemn them? No matter how trumultuos our history is, we must accept the fact that we are apart of each other’s history; both black and white. We are as one people and we are connected through life. We have the choice to be one race, the human race and until we as individuals define the true meaning of equality, we will remain together standing separate.