Why do African American men marry outside of their race?
By Ronald W. Holmes, Ph.D.
Special to the Outlook
The 2016 film Loving reveals the story of Richard and Mildred Loving who were the plaintiffs in the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision (Loving v. Virginia). The decision of the court invalidated U.S. state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
Richard, a White man and Mildred, a Black woman became romantically involved with each other and married after Mildred discovered she was pregnant. Since interracial marriage violated Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws, the Lovings drove to Washington D.C. and married in 1958.
When the Lovings returned to Virginia to live, law enforcement got wind of their stay, raided their home and arrested them for violating Virginia’s law. With the support of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lovings’ case reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The case became the landmark civil rights decision that invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Since the ruling, interracial marriage has increased steadily. In 2013, approximately 12% of first time marriages in the U.S. were between newlyweds of different races according to the Pew Research Center.
While people have their own personal reasons for selecting a mate, the critical question to be asked is: Why do African American men date or marry outside of their race? Could the answer to this question be that the African American woman is not doing certain things to attract the African American man? Is the answer to this question simply because of the African American woman’s complexion or skin color?
Ronald Holmes’ latest book on interracial marriage will address this critical question. The book is scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2017. It will provide real-life experiences from African American men involved in interracial marriages.
Ronald Holmes is enlisting referrals of African American men who are dating or in an interracial marriage. All information along with the individuals’ name will be held confidential. Ronald needs only individuals’ responses to the designated questions. If you have referrals, please submit the names and contact information to: rwh@theholmeseducationpost.com
Dr. Ronald Holmes is the author of 15 books and publisher of “The Holmes Education Post,” an education focused Internet newspaper. Holmes is a former teacher, school administrator, test developer and district superintendent.
