How Black Nationalists View Interracial Couples

In my previous post, I discussed how white supremacists viewed interracial relationships. Now I’m going to tackle a rather tough subject matter of how some black Americans, some of whom consider themselves politically liberal, share in some of the same ideology. Contrary to popular belief, there is no unanimous support of interracial marriage among black Americans. There never has been for at least the past few decades now. However, it appears, according to studies, to have taken an especially steep dip in support starting in the early 1990s.

Sleeping With “The Enemy”

It is important to distinguish liberal black nationalists from their old-guard counterparts such as the white supremacists. While traditional groups (KKK, Neo-Nazi etc.) decry intermarriage on the grounds that it contaminates the white gene pool, liberal black nationalists base their disapproval on the purported psychological damage to the individuals involved and the threat to the black communities’ unity. Few black progressive critics of interracial marriage advocate outlawing the practice or ostracizing or using violence against the couples and families. Finally, unlike white racists, most liberal black nationalists criticize but do not entirely oppose interracial unions. Whereas liberal criticism of intermarriage will probably not affect people’s legal freedom to engage in mixed-race relations, it may discourage them from entering into such unions or from having biracial children.

A key tenet of black nationalism is the belief that relations between whites and non-whites are inherently problematic on account of the two groups’ unequal social positions. According to this philosophy, a relationship between a white and a person of African descent can never be made on a truly equal footing because whites generally possess more power in Western society. As well, such a relationship might be negatively affected by the fact that the White partner may, even unconsciously, hold racist attitudes and that he or she can never empathize with the discrimination his or her significant other faces. These tenets have been expressed with regard to both heterosexual and homosexual relationships.

The idea that white-black relationships are problematic because of the two partners’ unequal social positions raises a number of questions. While in our society Whites on average possess more social, economic, and political power than blacks, this may not be the case for every couple. In a relationship between a White high school dropout working as a health care aide and a Black physician, it would be difficult to conclude that the former has more power simply because he or she is white. This idea may not hold true even at the group level.

Black critics of mixed-race marriage have developed a psychological profile of individuals involved in interracial relationships. A common view of minorities who enter into such unions is that they are uncomfortable with their heritage and seek to escape or deny it by marrying or dating a white. Also known as the self-hatred paradigm. In choosing a partner of European descent, heterosexual black men are furthermore said to be going after an ideal of White beauty.

Interracially married black women on the other hand are believed to seek White men not necessarily for their looks but their social status, or wanting to “marry up”.

“White Interlopers…”

Whites who intermarry are typically not seen in a good light either, though they figure less as victims than as victimizers in the black nationalist paradigm. At best, they are portrayed as well-meaning people who marry interracially out of the naive belief that by doing so they are striking a blow against racism. However, their motives are at times said to be more sinister. A sometimes-expressed view is that whites look for black partners in order to fulfill sexual fantasies. At worst, whites in interracial relationships are deliberately seeking a minority partner in order to dominate or even abuse him or her in a racist way.

To a lesser extent, even the depiction of black men involved with White women as men seeking an ideal of White beauty recalls the traditional stereotype of the male “Other” – a position held at various times by Black, Filipino, and even Jewish men – who threatens the sexual purity of White (or White Christian) women.

Yet another accusation is often made of Black men who date or marry white women women, allegedly for the latter’s “submissiveness”. These unflattering portraits in some ways echo those of old-style anti-integrationists as well as those of popular culture.

Many of these stereotypes do not correspond with reality. Hence these stereotypes are not only unflattering but often untrue or unconfirmable.

What About The Children?

Liberal black nationalists, like their white conservative counterparts, often promote the belief that mixed-race children are prone to confusion and psychological disturbance because they are “caught between two worlds yet part of neither”. While liberal black nationalists might appear to be very avant-garde in their social views, their statements on the effects of “race mixing” on children are frequently very much in tune with those of old-style opponents of intermarriage.

Studies comparing biracial individuals with their monoracial peers have generally found that the two groups are equally well adjusted, and most of the remainder have actually discovered better psychological health on the part of the former group. It is unlikely, though, that liberal black nationalists will look at this research and “see the light”, as most people are loath to acknowledge studies that contradict their personal beliefs. As well, the idea – no matter how scientifically dubious – that the offspring of interracial relationships are disadvantaged provides a powerful argument against such unions, so those opposed to interracial marriage have a reason not to discard it.

Pathologizing such unions does not seem to be the right path. Some interracial alliances can be very successful, even if race will always be an issue, while others may fail, whether because of obstacles related to ethnicity or other factors. Perhaps the best approach is to view interracial marriage as neither a solution to racial strife nor a death knell for the black community, but as a type of relationship that may pose special challenges and may or may not work for different individuals.

How Racists View White Women

White Women As Racial Traitors

White women are primarily valuable to racists for two qualities: their reproductive abilities and sexual attractiveness. They occupy an ambivalent position within white supremacist discourse. While they are marginal members and occasional leaders in this movement, they are primarily valued for their reproductive abilities and their sexual attractiveness to white men. However, unlike white men, white women are portrayed as potential traitors to the white race based on surrounding issues surrounding their reproductive abilities and sexual attractiveness.

White Women’s Sexuality

White women are suspect as racial traitors because of their sexuality. White women are assumed to be vulnerable not only to sexual attacks by black men, but also sexual advances by black men. White women are cautioned throughout racist publications about the supposed dangers inherent in associating with non-white men.

White women who do choose to have sex with Black men are vilified by white supremacist discourse, and the punishment for such behavior can be severe.

White women are not only viewed as sexually attractive, but also as the sexual property of white men. White women are expected to be sexually available to white men. If they are not, then they are seen as traitors to their race.

Bearing “Non-White” Children

The penultimate affront to racists’ control over white womens’ sexuality and reproductive lives is a white woman who chooses not only to have sex, but also bear children with, a black man. They are often heavily vilified for being a “race-mixer.”

Abortion

Abortion, according to white supremacist, is a form of racial treason when practiced by white women. Given the earlier description of the hallowed station of white motherhood for racists, it is not surprising that abortion would be considered treason. Abortion, typically considered an issue of gender and sexuality, is considered in racist discourse an essentially racial issue. And, it is white women who are perceived to be the villainous perpetrators of this racial treason.

White women, then, occupy an ambivalent position among racists. White women can be heroes and martyrs just as white men can be. Yet they are restricted to a marginal status because of their potential reproductive and sexual betrayal of white men and the racist movement. White women are thus simultaneously complicit in and held in contempt by white racists. What I intend to suggest here is the ways in which white women are depicted within this discourse can give insight into the way race, class, gender and sexuality are linked in a broader cultural context among racists.

 

The Reason For Ivory Road

I wanted to take some time to explain why it is I decided to start this blog. After having seen numerous IR blogs on the internet, I came to the conclusion that many are extremely militant in their presentation and content. Not only that, there were very few BM/WW sites that addressed the half-truths, stereotypes and obsessions from an intellectual stand-point. I generally view Ivory Road as a place for BM/WW couples that already exist and discussing some of the social aggressions they have to deal with. I have no indications that I’m going to change many people’s minds, but my wish is to at least get some of my viewpoints out there.

Five Part Series Coming Soon…

I’ve been researching for this for the past few months and finally have all the information I need to proceed with this particular series. In it, I’ll be discussing the nuanced times that America has had with Black men-White female relationships going as far back as the 17th Century. Believe or not, some of America’s most infamous decisions based on Race, was decided because of the fear of interracial sex involving Black men.

Here’s a brief outline of each of the five parts, as well as what I’ll be deliberating in each one:

 

1600s and Slavery Times – Part 1

Here I will be discussing the first documented marriage between a white woman and a black man in America. Also the reasoning as to why the anti-miscegenation laws were applied almost exclusively to the interracial relationships of white females.

Reconstruction and The Deterred Society known as “Jim Crow” – Part 2

Here I will be talking about the scare tactics used in order to justify the continuance of slavery, which often included the fear of black men “fornicating” with Southern white women. The use of lynching black men as a way of terrorism based on black male sexuality will also be discussed. Concluding by explaining why one of the primary reasons America was segregated for almost eighty years was to deter interracial relationships between black men and white females in a legal manner.

Black Men, European Women During WWII – Part 3

I’ll be revealing a little known piece of history during the second World War, where black GIs were barred from marrying their British girlfriends under coerced methods from the American government, in collaboration with British military leaders, in fear of racial backlash in the U.S. Some of these methods included denying European women immigration visas solely because of the women’s desire to marry black men.

Hidden Purpose of the Segregationist Movement of the 50s/60s – Part 4

Another piece of unknown history, where I reveal one of the biggest reasons Southern whites were against intergration was because of their fear of inter-marriage between blacks and whites, particulary, not surprisingly, black men and white women. In fact, in 1944, Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal ranked interracial marriage as the most important concern that white southerners had about their relationships with black southerners. According to Myrdal, prevention of intermarriage was the basis for all southern laws establishing segregation.

Jungle Fever, Mandingo Stereotype and Old Tactics – Part 5 Finale

In the final part to the series, I’ll be discussing more contemporary issues, including how some of the same tactics used against black male-white female couples generations ago, are still praticed today. Albeit with a much more covert discretion in today’s culture.

 

Heidi Klum – The Most Hated White Woman in the World

By most hated I’m talking among the racists of the world. Except for maybe President Barack Obama, no other individual stirs up more hatred from the bigots than her. All of it due to the color of her husband’s skin; as well as her children with him. While Heidi has a white daughter from a broken relationship with Italian businessman, Flavio Briatore, she would later end up marrying British-Nigerian singer, Seal.

Heidi Klum’s relationship with Seal is a true character study in more ways than one. Not the least of which is that Klum managed to single-handily shatter every stereotype associated with Black male-White female relationships. Some of which include: Only overweight white women date black men and only white women that white men don’t want will marry a black guy. Heidi Klum, as you clearly see, isn’t overweight. She’s also a Victoria Secret model, which obviously means some white men did find her attractive enough to hire her in the first place. Despite all that, however, she still ended up getting hitched to non-white guy. The racists of the world, upset that their stereotype is not one hundred percent accurate, immediately brushed off Heidi with their scarlet letter. Including making inhumane comments about her biracial children.

If anything positive for Heidi can be gained from this, it’s the fact that she, and her husband, are Europeans. If Heidi Klum was an American white woman, chances are the hatred towards her would be magnified about ten times over…

Sexual Racism – America’s Hidden Obsession

“I would say it’s the root of all evil. The Black man’s physicality… The Black man’s penis. There’s a reason for it in my mind. Slavery created maybe 250,000 so-called mulattos. Meaning the master dealing with the beautiful Black slave. He then developed a tremendous fear of that Black male. It was fear… really escalated over the years because on occasion there were some who took a risk and got with a Black slave (Male). The greatest Fear for one who is weak to rape somebody else’s woman… is to have to his woman be attracted to that Black male.”

 

Jim Brown

Former Cleveland Brown’s

Pro Football Hall of Famer

From the HBO Documentary

#32 Jim Brown All-American

 

The Historical Backdrop

Mr. Brown may be a little short on his Mulatto count, but other than that his statement speaks for itself. Race and Sex have been closely intertwined throughout our nation’s history, and this may explain why Race is such a taboo subject today. Even though sex is openly discussed, any serious discussion on Race would eventually acknowledge the impact that Black Male Sexuality has had on our nation’s history.

It’s America’s Racial and Sexual Pandora’s box.

Interracial sexuality of various kinds have been common among humans for many centuries now. Whether in a consensual fashion or coerced, whenever people of different races live amongst each other, it’s inevitable that some form of sexual contact will occur. Perhaps this would best explain the various anti-miscegenation laws, as they came to be known, in different countries in the past. In the barbaric history of race for the United States, this took on an even more sinister form that usually resulted in violence. Because contrary to popular belief among some, no couple in America causes more visceral reactions, more disheartening comments, more jolts to the psyche than the one of a Black man and White woman. This is the lightning rod relationship

THE American Taboo

In the early 1900s laws were passed that banned race mixing. It was believed that “race mixing” was a social, sexual, and racial crime. It was considered racial suicide to sexually or reproductively mix the so-called “higher” racial types with the so-called “lower” racial types.

Then Vice President, Calvin Coolidge also believed that biological laws told us that certain divergent people will not mix or blend. Eugenicists efforts focused on new legal definitions of who could qualify to receive a marriage license as a “white” person.

During the 1920’s there were laws passed regarding racial integrity. The Racial Integrity Act of 1924 was passed. This act defined who would qualify as members of the “white” race. It emphasized the “scientific” basis of race assessment, and the “dysgenic” dangers of race mixing.

So embedded has racial prejudice been in the public mind that the attitudes of an entire nation have been infected. The greater the physical separation, the more ignorance could grow — and fear. People’s imaginations became inflamed, and the racial bugaboo was used for political purposes. Ironically, the perpetrators themselves wound up hurting their own interests. The economic pauperization of a whole class of potential contributors, potential consumers, virtually ensured postponement of prosperity for the middle class as well.

Even as late as 2009, we see a local justice of the peace, Keith Bardwell of Louisiana’s Tangipahoa Parish (8th Ward) refusing to grant a marriage license to an interracial couple on sheerly racial grounds. The one gratifying sign has been the widespread protest which followed.

Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption

Interracial Intimacies:
Sex, Marriage, Identity, and Adoption

Fears of transgressive interracial relationships, informed over the centuries by ugly racial biases and fantasies, still linger in American society today. This brilliant study — ranging from plantation days to the present — explores the historical, sociological, legal, and moral issues that continue to feed and complicate that fear.

In chapters filled with provocative and cleanly stated logic and enhanced by intriguing historical anecdotes, Randall Kennedy tackles such subjects as the presence of sex in racial politics and of race in sexual politics, the prominence of legal institutions in defining racial distinction and policing racial boundaries, the imagined and real pleasures that have attended interracial intimacy, and the competing arguments around interracial romance, sex, and family life throughout American history.

In Interracial Intimacies, Randall Kennedy offers nothing less than a bracing, much-needed ethic of multiracial living.