(ThyBlackMan.com) There is no better place to be entertained while learning that Black men are not monolithic when it comes to matters of the heart than a local barbershop. It is within the cozy confines of the barbershop, particularly if there are no women present, that one will receive an understanding that there is little that Black men agree on when it comes to what type of woman they are willing to forge a relationship with.
A lifetime of listening to conversations that ranged from ridiculous to insightful frames my belief that there is nothing off limits within the black barbershop;I am confident that the same rules govern what occurs in black beauty shops.
During a recent trip to the local barbershop, the issue of interracial dating was raised by a barber. Predictably, the nearly twenty black men in various stages of securing a haircut pounced on the subject.
A particularly comedic gentleman who appeared to be in his mid-forties related that his dating choices were governed by “the one-drop rule.” He displayed some semblance of formal education by offering commentary that reminded others of American chattel slavery and the fact that during that period, “if you had one drop of Black blood, you were Black. No questions would be asked.” The entire assembly of Black men knew that this brother’s pause was attributable to a theatrical pause that a brilliant comedian such as Bernie Mac, Paul Mooney, or Richard Pryor would use to accentuate a punch-line not due to a loss of words.The brown-skinned brother continued with his litany by saying,
“Yeah, my brother. I use the one drop rule myself. If a lady has one drop of Black blood, I want nothing to do with her.”
The comment was simultaneously witty and polarizing as only a few listeners laughed at the quip.
This rather general conversation regarding inter-racial relationships and the seeming decline of loving relationships between African-American men and women continued unabated for several hours. Predictably, there was no consensus achieved regarding these matters of the heart. However, there is no doubt that this is an important issue within Black America; one that has led to untold frustrations for Black women desiring a loving marriage with a Black man.
Pew Center research offers very interesting information regarding the issue of Black men marrying non-Black women. Consider for a moment that among Black newlyweds:
Black men are twice as likely as black women to marry outside the Race (24% vs. 12%)
As the educational attainments of Black men increase so do their decision to marry outside of the Race
17% of Black men with a high school diploma married outside of the Race
24% of Black men with some college education married outside of the Race
30% of Black men with a Bachelor’s degree or higher married outside of the Race
As mentioned above, the reasons that Black men are increasingly deciding to marry non-Black women are personal, there is little room to debate that such inter-marriage serves as a thorn in the side of Black women who have decided to “pine away” for Black men.
When viewed from the pedestal of Black Nationalism, it is particularly frightening that an increase in formal education increases the migration of Black men to the arms of non-Black women. Could it be that the worldview and orientations of Black men are being severely altered by their engagement with white school curriculum’s and popular culture programming? Or is there something repulsive about Black women to educated, forward-thinking Black men seeking to build a glorious future?
One thing is certain, I am way too wise to even attempt to address the latter.
Staff Writer; Dr. James Thomas Jones III
Official website; http://www.ManhoodRaceCulture.com
One may also connect with this brother via Twitter; DrJamestJones.