A Little More About Me

I am a young, professional Black woman who happens to be married to a White man. Needless to say, I am very conscious about racial issues. I think that I have always been, but it has been heightened since my involvement and now marriage to a white man.

I've always considered myself to be very open-minded, appreciative of all people (for the most part) and I have always had a good mix of friends of all races and cultures. It wasn't however, until I started dating Honey that I realized that I had many prejudices that I condemned others for having. I always knew that racism existed . . . I have definitely been on the receiving end of someone dropping the "N-bomb" as Honey and I call it. I know what it's like to be followed while shopping or to have white people utterly and stupidly fascinated by the fact that I am an educated, articulate and pretty outspoken Black woman on any number of issues and that I speak from knowledge and not necessarily emotion. I know what it's like to have bad customer service experiences and know that the person providing the "service" wouldn't dare think of providing that same "quality" of service to a white person. However, the dynamic totally changes when you throw an interracial relationship into the mix. Now when I get poor service at a restaurant, it's harder to determine if the customer service is just all around bad or if it's because of Honey and I being together. People still stare at us when we are out and about. More than that, people refuse to acknowledge that we are together.

Honey and I can be standing in line waiting to pay for something. If another line opens up, I would say 4 out of 5 times, they will look at one of us, even though we are standing together conducting our transaction, and say that they can help the next person in line. It's not like Honey and I are like many interracial couples that you see acting like they aren't really together. There is no doubt, when we are out or otherwise, that we are a couple. So, it just constantly amazes me how people are so programmed to see things in one way and they can't deviate from that programming. It's actually rather sad if you ask me. Anyway, many of the things that I have a lot to say about involve social issues and "ways" that I notice about people. I think that this additional information about me will bring a new flavor to the things that I comment on in this blog. So, with that being said, I am going to get back to work, but will write more later. Until then . . .