True friendship transcends race
Letter to the Editor
I am writing this letter in response to the "What Brothers Think, What Sistahs Know" forum. I feel sadness and utter frustration by some of the narrow-minded overtones heard the other night. As we enter into the 21st century or the new millennium sentiments of resentment and hatred can be strongly felt in the African-American community dealing with interracial dating. A notion of "us" versus "them" mentality is expressed in both its verbal and expressive form.
Coming to the University of Notre Dame has made me re-examine my identity and role within the African-American community. At times it feels like a community of intellectually and spiritually gifted beings of God that closes our minds off when race becomes a factor.
This becomes particularly evident whenever an African-American male is dating a woman of another ethnicity. He is often referred to as a "sellout" and other degrading words that destroy the foundations of his soul. It is interesting to hear the blatant ignorance and closed mindedness from the small percentage of women of color when mentioning interracial dating.
The ignorance can be understood in some ways. African-American women find difficulties dating outside of their ethnicity because of the lack of social acceptance within society. Venting frustrations and anger at African-American men when they interact and have relationships with women of other ethnicities hurts us as a whole. Saying that women of color pose an immediate threat on the man's masculinity because of her strong, assertive, independent nature can sometimes be perceived as selfish and narrow-minded.
Speaking from a male perspective, we need our women of color to be supportive and understanding of our actions. Men also have to support and love our women as we want to be loved and respected. Plato must have been wrong in implying that man has to fully understand his soul in appreciating the nature or beauty that lies on earth. The problem that arises on earth occurs when some women and men attempt to place a racial boundary on love.
Love is meant to be colorblind. An African-American man who appreciates and loves a woman for the all of the gifts and greatness that she brings to this earth has a deep understanding of himself and the world around him. If a man of color can accept a woman for who she is, what role she plays in society and her independence then race should not play an significant factor in personal or extramarital relationships. Love in its most ultimate form is suppose to unite the procreation of souls together, binding them in a lasting, soul nurturing relationship despite ethnicity and religion.
It is time for African-American men and women to re-examine their moral consciousness to find the true meaning within them. If people start looking at their own situations and not necessarily concentrating on whom people date then we as human beings of the universe will find equilibrium amongst each other.
Jourdan Sorrell
freshman
Siegfried Hall
February 27, 2001
All Viewpoint Stories for Wednesday, February 28, 2001
