It’s hard to believe but not too long ago, interracial marriage was illegal.
We’ve come a long way since then.
Still, these diverse unions continue to be met with hesitation or outright disdain by some.
I know because I’ve dealt with it my entire life.
Biracial beginnings
I am the product of an interracial marriage.
My mother, a black woman from Chicago, married a white French-Canadian man.
I felt like the human representation of a melting pot!
I started seeing a guy in Upstate New York and we really hit it off.
We were walking through the mall when, suddenly, he snatched his hand from mine.
He had spotted his mother and quickly explained, “She doesn’t like black people.
That was the first time I felt a piece of my soul being lost to racism.
Thomas Jefferson is a great example.
All six of my children are light-skinned and some even have blonde hair and blue eyes.
While some will show curiosity about my relationship to them, others have taken a more hurtful approach.
Some years ago, I was shopping in Walmart with one of my daughters.
A woman approached me, saying, “Are you the nanny?”
This womanhadto have heard that.
After explaining our family composition (why should anyone ever have to do that?
I was absolutely stunned.
Unfortunately, I’ve gotten used to it.
It literally happens all the time.
Cultural differences will probably exist
To some degree, we are all products of our upbringing.
While I laughed uproariously at Steve Harvey, D.L.
Huguely, and Bernie Mack, my husband sat almost completely silent.
He was genuinely lost.
Now, years later, he has adapted and laughs right alongside me!
You may clash on societal issues
He’s a white guy from the South with Baptist roots.
Sometimes, it separates us on social issues and it can, admittedly, be pretty tough.
It gives us a common goal and helps us overcome our differences.
The combining of two cultures two races can be a beautiful thing.
While many couples will have private, unseen differences, the diversity in an interracial relationship is immediately obvious.
What message is more powerful than that?
