Race/Ethnicity Questions 271-280

THE QUESTION:
R280: Do other African-American fans of the Spice Girls bristle at the notion of Mel B. being nicknamed “Scary Spice” while the other, white Spices have innocuous names, such as “Ginger Spice” for Geri?
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Z.T.K, 32, black, Detroit, MI

ANSWER 1:
Scary spice is just a nickname, which I am almost certain she chose for herself because of her “wild hair.” I don’t think we have to make everything a racial issue.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Ify, black <ifebigh77@hotmail.com>, Miami, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
I have no problem with any of the Spice Girl names, including Scary Spice. I feel she made that choice. I don’t think it has anything to do with her race.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Cheryl B., 22, African-American female <CherylB4U@AOL.COM>, Memphis, TN

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The Spice girls are from England, where racial differences are not as big of a deal as in the United States. I heard that the nickname of “Scary” was because “Mel” (I didn’t even know her real name) was very blunt and didn’t hold anything back when she spoke, and this was scary. It sounded reasonable to me.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Jas, black <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
The Spice Girls were all nicknamed by the British press. The names were meant to be insults. The girls turned the tables and used them to their benefit. Scary Spice’s nickname was in reference to her hair. Yes, I am offended by that. Her hair is not any wilder or scarier than any other black girl’s hair. Many white people I’ve encountered have been fascinated by my hair. Sometimes we get questions like, “Do you wash it?” One girl from Eastern Europe used to poke me in the head every time she saw me because she wanted to know what my hair felt like. Also, I’ve been to Britain. They have many of the same racial hangups as Americans do, but because of their reserved, polite manner, you must dig deeper to find them.
POSTED MAY 29, 1998
Denise, 26, black, Bronx, NY

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
Yes, that miffs me, because underlying it all, I think the name “Scary Spice” or “Wild Spice” has some racial undertones. As you probably know, in American history the terms scary and wild have often been used to describe black people’s hair or general nature. And yes, it peeves me to see that the other “Spice Girls” have cute and demure names like “Ginger” and “Baby” and “Posh.” Why does Mel B. have to be “wild” or “scary”? She doesn’t seem like it to me. I think she should just go by “Mel B.”
POSTED DEC. 7, 1998
Mel B., 27, black female, Detroit, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R279: Has anyone else ever noticed that people of different races smell different when they sweat? If so, how would you describe the different odors?
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
S., South Carolina

ANSWER 1:
I don’t think the smell has anything to do with race. It has to do with diet. Certain foods give off particular odors through the skin. If, for example, people of the same race eat similar foods, they most likely will have a similar odor permeating through their skin. But I have not noticed any differences in the “smell of sweat” between races.
POSTED MAY 27, 1998
Jas, black <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Thanks for responding. First of all, I was talking about the sweat of clean people, which is not necessarily unpleasant. Dirty people smell bad regardless of race. Secondly, I have noticed these differences. Some white people have a “cinnamon” smell. I noticed this in Copenhagen, where this smell seemed even to exist in the tap water! It seems to be more prevalent among sedentary types, who might be a little overweight (perhaps due to alcohol?). I think many black people have an astringent, ammonia-type smell, especially when it gets humid. This is not particularly offensive, it is just “there.” (White people with “BO” smell infinitely worse!) I wonder if people smell different when they are in their homelands (whites in Europe, blacks in Afriica, etc.). Maybe it is just my imagination, but when I have been in Europe, the air pressure feels “right” to me and it is even easier for me to breathe. Could North American climate, native to neither whites nor blacks, create different sweat odors?
POSTED JUNE 13, 1998
S., white, S.C.
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THE QUESTION:
R278: I’ve gotten in trouble with people for using the word “Oriental” to describe Asians, but I’d like to know why a person from China would be considered Asian, while those from, say, India, Bangladesh or Russia aren’t.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Scott H., 19, white <scotthaile@mailexcite.com>, Irving, TX

ANSWER 1:
I am an Asian American and don’t like people calling me Oriental because they have no clue where I am from or are trying to be polite. Asians are stereotyped as having yellow skin, slanted eyes or being short, but most Russians, Indians and Middle Eastern countries do not meet this criteria. It’s the same concept with America. People from the United States are called Americans, while people from Canada are Canadians, people from Mexico are Mexicans, and people from South America are called by their respective countries. Why? Because that’s the way people have learned to accept it.
POSTED JUNE 5, 1998
L.B., 25, Asian, drberk@jps.net, San Francisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE:
Oriental refers to a style of furniture, not a description of a certain ethnic group. In reference to India, Bangladesh and Russia, those countries consist of different types of ethnic groups.
POSTED JUNE 14, 1998
Noire, 24, African American <Noire@black.com>, Atlanta, GA

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
With regard to the word “oriental,” it’s not intrinsically offensive, but then neither is the word “negro.” We call each other names society deems acceptable, and sometimes certain words pass out of this realm. As for the second half of your question, I’ve always called Indians, Bangladeshis and others Asians (or South Asians) and never thought twice about it. Russians can either be Europeans or Eurasians, depending on your preference. Labels aren’t set in stone.
POSTED JUNE 26, 1998
Ray, 24, Asian <yangban@erols.com>, Washington, DC
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THE QUESTION:
R277: I have seen many stories on Dateline, 48 Hours, etc. pertaining to a “race war” that is supposed to take place in the 21st Century. There have even been hidden cameras taken into camps where Causcasian Americans are getting ready to fight or kill African Americans. Are these images worth worrying about? And what does the U.S. government have to counteract something like this?
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
Cheryl B., 22, African-American female <CherylB4U@AOL.COM>,Memphis, TN

ANSWER 1:
I think this is something worth worrying about, and I would not expect the U.S. government to do anything. This same government, along with others, didn’t do anything about the massacre of our African brothers and sisters in Rwanda.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
T. Spen, black female <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD

FURTHER NOTICE:
I think images and alleged plans for a race war depicted on TV should be taken seriously. But most of all, we should be aware of people who are members of groups based on hatred and ignorance. Learning about these people, as crazy as it sounds, is the only hope. Information and knowledge are powerful tools, and we can use them against ignorance and stereotypes attached to people of different colors, cultures, sexual orientations or religions. This war is already poisoning people in our country and taking advantage of those who don’t know better and refuse to see we are no different from each other, after all.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
M.T., Hispanic female <mcnellyt@juno.com>, Lawton, OK

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Like T. Spen, I was appalled at the lack of action by our government and others in the Rwandan genocide. I also agree there is something to worry about. While the Rwandan massacre of Tutsis by Hutus in 1994, followed by the ongoing killings of Hutus by Tutsis, is a tribal war, not a racial one, the culture of hatred and fear is the same. The idea of white supremacists preparing for a race war/massacre of black people here in the United States is terrifying to me, as are similar stories I’ve seen regarding a second holocaust of the Jews.

I tend to believe, despite some doubts, that our government, with its investment in authority and its huge military resources, would not allow such things to occur. The Branch Davidian and Freedmen standoffs indicate there’s only so far “fringe” groups are allowed to go before being shut down. Will there have to be a tragedy before they realize these people aren’t just exercising their right to free speech? I can only maintain hope that there will not, and work to confront and end hatred and racism when I meet it.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Felicia, 34, white <foloughl@n3c.com>, Houston, TX

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To T. Spen: You are quick to condemn the government for not trying to stop the inter-tribal warfare in Rwanda, but what did you do to try to stop it? Did you write or call your Congressman or Senator to express your feelings on what was or was not being done to stop the killing? Until everyone is willing to get involved to help their fellow man (or woman), no one has the right to point fingers at others. It takes all of us to bring peace to the world. Perhaps we should all get involved to make sure everyone has a safe neighborhood, school and home. Peace begins at home.
POSTED MAY 27, 1998
Marsha B., 40, white female <Treehugger@freenet.com>, Newton, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I believe race/social wars will happen. Whites are training, and blacks are training. Hate is a big business for both groups. Just think, if whites loved blacks, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would be out of a job! There is a book titled Civil War II by Thomas Chettum. I highly recommend it. I’m black and believe the wars are coming, and I think you should worry. There are things going on that our media will not tell you and I, such as gang wars happening aboard U.S. aircraft carriers and the urban pacification training being taught to UN, foreign and domestic troops. As society deteriorates, expect more federal building bombings. Expect more hate-related crimes from whites and blacks.
POSTED JUNE 4, 1998
John, black, San Fransisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I feel that the media have been for the past several years trying to drum up a race war. This may have started some time ago, but I’ve only been keeping tabs for a few years. First, look at the attention that the Rodney King fiasco got, and the subsequent riots and beating of that white truck driver. Then the media’s (and Clinton’s) going on and on about church burnings when in fact 1) An equal number of white churches were being burned, 2) It was not just a Southern thing, and 3) In about a third of all cases, it turned out to be insurance fraud on the part of pastors, who had dwindling congregations. (Walter Williams wrote a brilliant article about this some time ago.) Then look at the media’s reaction to the O.J. Simpson verdict: Portraying whites as frustrated and blacks as overjoyed at the outcome. This creates an attitude of us vs. them and leads fearful and easily manipulated people to react (by joining hate groups, militias, gangs, etc.). This creates more news, which sells more papers and more advertisements. You see where I’m going with this? The threat of such a race war is more powerful than a race war ever could be.
POSTED NOV. 27, 1998
Bill, 25, white <Bill@Perkins.net>, Charlotte, NC
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THE QUESTION:
R276: Why do some white people try to act, look and talk like black people?
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
Michael L., 35, white, Nashville, TN

ANSWER 1:
It could be that the person was raised in a predominantly black area and took on the behavior from his environment. Or it could be that this person really admires black culture. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or possibly this person is living in a black area and just wants to be part of the neighborhood. (When in Rome, do as the Romans do.) Or maybe the people he wants to be friends happen to be black and he feels it will help him be accepted if he tries to act the way they do.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Colette, white <inkwolf@earthlink.net>, Seymour, WI

FURTHER NOTICE:
It depends on whether they have only black friends, and also if they grew up and attended school in a predominantly black school or neighbourhood. Have you ever heard, “If you can’t beat them, join them”?
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Ify <ifebigh77@hotmail.com>, Miami, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I think they are just trying to fit in with the group they want to be part of. I wouldn’t hold it against them, just as I wouldn’t hold it against a black woman from the ghetto who is used to speaking Ebonics from acting properly in a corporate office setting. You have to adjust to your environment if you want to succeed in it. How would the person you describe be treated if she didn’t change to suit the situation? Most likely the slang being used would be lost on her, and she would not know what to say or do.
POSTED JUNE 3, 1998
Jim J., 32, white, Atlanta, GA
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THE QUESTION:
R275: I went to lunch with a white female co-worker recently, and as we were walking on the sidewalk, a young black man came walking up behind us. He abruptly went around, smiling back at us. Later, my co-worker mentioned that she grabbed her purse because he was coming up on her (which he wasn’t). You could clearly see he was working; he had tools with him. I am black, and this angered me a lot. Do white women think black men want to rob or rape them? What’s to be afraid of, since criminals come in all races, genders, etc.? Help me understand. Also, should I politely mention something to her about that stereotype?
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
TSpen <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD

ANSWER 1:
Since you were going out to lunch together, I am pretty sure your co-worker felt somewhat safe being with you, even though a black man was approaching her. Although you could tell he was working and you were not threatened by him, she probably was somewhat afraid. Don’t be so quick to judge her. Maybe she had a bad experience in the past. Was it because he was black that she was afraid, or was it that he was “young”? We can be too quick to make everything racial when it’s just being smart. I would politely ask her what it was about “that” young man that made her defensive. If it was his color, then it’s time to educate her.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
Jas, black <themoas@aol.com>, Pensacola, FL

FURTHER NOTICE:
Did she tell you she grabbed her purse only because he was black? I am very suspicious of people in general, men specifically, and when I see a man of any race approaching me, I immediately put up my guard. Also, if she has been a victim of a crime by a black man, she may be afraid of him. It’s not logical, but crime victims sometimes but the blame on the group the criminal belonged to. I think most white women are aware that no race is any more likely to commit a crime. I would bring up the incident and ask her if there was anything about the man that made her suspicious. If it was because he was black, she may not be aware of it.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
S. Shea, white female, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
I’m black, and when I see black teenagers approaching me, I cross the street. I value my life. There are blacks who, for whatever reason, do not respect life. Same with whites. If I’m in an area where I do not know people, I am always on guard, no matter the race of the people around me. I also take notice of the image people are trying to project. If you dress like a skinhead, I will treat you like a skinhead. If you dress like a gang-banger, I will treat you like a gang-banger. Being careful or scared for your life is a healthy thing. Sure, you might hurt the other person’s feelings, but I would rather do that than have my life ended in a sidewalk gutter.
POSTED JUNE 4, 1998
John, black, San Francisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
To TSpen: Be careful before jumping to conclusions. I was once coming back from the campus library late at night, walking quickly and looking as unapproachable as possible for my own safety. I passed a black student who looked at me and said, “Don’t worry about it.” It made me feel terrible. I was a woman out alone at night, and I adopted an attitude to protect myself. It was in no way related to the color of his skin. It felt terrible to be accused of racism in this manner. And yes, I had had a previous encounter with a white male, which made me even more nervous about being out alone.
POSTED JUNE 16, 1998
Kirstin C., 23, white, Redwood City, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
It depends on personal experience. I have had my purse stolen twice, both times by young black men. Therefore, common sense dictates that in the future I will be wary of my personal well-being and belongings around young black men. Not all of them, of course, but ones who act like the ones who stole my belongings. If I was robbed twice by 70-year-old white hippies, I would probably grab my purse and watch carefully as old white hippies passed by. It just so happens I was robbed by black guys.
POSTED JUNE 27, 1998
Erika, 25, white <nuerika@yahoo.com>, Chicago, IL
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THE QUESTION:
R274: Why are African-American children featured on television commercials usually very light-skinned with long, curly hair?
POSTED MAY 17, 1998
Cheryl B., 22, African-American female <CherylB4u@AOL. com>, Memphis, TN

ANSWER 1:
I’m not sure this is the norm anymore. In fact, more the opposite is true. My evidence comes from my experiences as a television commercial actor in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when this was beginning to change. I’m brown-skinned and found a lot of difficulty getting work after ’88. Tune in Soul Train and watch the ads to see if I’m wrong.
POSTED JUNE 11, 1998
Elliott, 44, black, franrod@wavenet.com, Los Angeles, CA

FURTHER NOTICE:
Advertisers think lighter-skinned, wavy-haired children are more acceptable, to black and white potential customers. They don’t want to exclude black folks’ dollars, but they don’t want their products to be identified as “black” products, either, or white folks won’t buy them. If we black folks are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we sometimes treat the lighter-skinned, light-eyed, long-haired children of ours better than our dark-skinned, brown-eyed, African-haired ones. One reason, I believe, that many black men marry white women, is that they don’t want dark-skinned children. We can’t expect Wall Street to do any better than that if we can’t.
POSTED JULY 22, 1998
E. Daniel, 42, black female, Kansas City , MO

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
The creators of these commercials are overwhelmingly white and, depending on when and where these programs and commercials run, the viewers probably are as well (there are, after all, more whites in America than blacks). So, the creators try to find the most “palatable” blacks they can find, blacks who look the least “offensive,” blacks who look more like them, to put the viewers at ease. White producers feel these lighter, fairer-haired blacks look “friendlier” to white audiences. Darker blacks are usually relegated to the role of the sneaky best friend or criminals. Blame the producers. As for whether this strategy works, just read some of the questions on this site to see its subliminal effects.
POSTED JULY 28, 1998
K. Green, 30, African American <KennyG9@yahoo.com>, Chicago, IL
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THE QUESTION:
R273: Can black students offer their theory on why their scores on standardized tests are generally lower than white and Asian scores? I’ve heard many theories, including culture (black students who study hard are accused of “acting white,” etc.), unequal educational facilities and expectations by teachers.
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
Tom J. <tomj@hotmail.com>,Lawton, OK

ANSWER 1:
Tests such as the SAT are generally flawed and do not accommodate African-American students. Many of the questions favor well-off children. Family income is the best way to determine whether a student will score well, not race.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
Kara, African American, Japan

FURTHER NOTICE:
These groups have better means to prepare their kids. They can afford private tutors or classes, whereas many black families may not have the means to do so. I prepared with a book and also a free SAT prep class. It was free, so you can imagine the class was pretty full and not very individualized. I did OK, but I it would take some money and proper schooling before I could obtain the scores of whites or Asians. However, there are many black students who score just as high on those tests.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
T. Spen, black female <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Black students tend to do less well on SATs and ACTs because many of the school districts in the larger urban areas, for whatever the reason, just aren’t getting the job done.

I don’t buy the idea that standardized tests are culturally biased. If the SAT and ACT were IQ tests, which aresupposed to measure a person’s potential to learn, that would be one thing, but the point of the SAT is to measure what you have or at least should’ve learned in school. What’s the point of attending a school if when you leave you don’t possess any more knowledge than you went in with?

Just last year, I heard of a case of a young girl who graduated as her high school’s valedictorian and had an athletic scholarship, but couldn’t attend the college offering the scholarship because she didn’t pass the SAT. I don’t blame the student or the test, I blame the sad excuse of a school that failed to give even its best student an adequate education.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Jay B., 38, black male, <jayboyd@ameritech.net>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
In my opinion, culture and education are more a factor than race. I went to a predominantly white school dedicated to optional children. The teachers were great and I learned a lot from that experience. But my siblings went to a predominantly black school where there was little taught that would pertain to standardized tests. My siblings and I have the same parents and grew up in the same household, but because of our different educational backgrounds, we have made very different scores on aptitude and standardized tests. So race has nothing to do with why scores are worse for African-American students. My sister and brother are very smart, but because of the school they attended, their grades on standardized tests do not reflect it.
POSTED MAY 23, 1998
Cheryl B., 22, African-American female <CherylB4@AOL.COM>, Memphis, TN

FURTHER NOTICE 4:
I don’t think an individual’s economic disposition has anything to do with his or her test scores. I am from Nigeria, and most of my friends had outstanding scores ion their SATs, and they did not have the required SAT books most American kids are fortunate to afford. If an individual wants to excel in anything, the key is to work very, very hard. Excuses should not be made for people who do not want to excel.
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Ify, black girl <ifebigh77@hotmail.com.>, Miami, FL

FURTHER NOTICE 5:
I don’t think economic factors are why blacks fair poorer than Asians. I am an Asian male, and when I was preparing for the SAT, I did not take special prep courses or buy expensive books. All I got was a $19 book. I put in lots of hard work and time. You don’t need a lot of money, or any at all. No matter which city you live in, the local library will have many books on the SAT. I did not come from the top schools in the city. My brother, who went to one of the top schools in the country, scored lower than I did, so where you go to school also matters little. I think people should stop the misconception that Asians have more money for education or push their children harder. It’s all in the individual’s ambition. It’s true that the SAT does not measure one’s IQ, but it does measure one’s ambition to learn, and that’s reason enough to let those who score better into the better colleges.
POSTED JUNE 5, 1998
L.B., 25, Asian, drberk@jps.net, San Francisco, CA

FURTHER NOTICE 6:
To Ify: Poverty does make a difference in education in America. Schools in poor areas have trouble hiring qualified teachers. Teachers can often make more money elsewhere, or don’t want to live in a poor area. Also, poor children often don’t have a parent available to help them learn their homework, as poor people (and especially single parents) often have to work extremely long hours to make enough money to survive, and even when they are home, may not have the time or energy left, or the education themselves, to help their children learn anything. That’s another reason teachers won’t stay in poor areas – they end up having to teach children things they should be learning at home from their parents, like manners and hygiene, rather than what they are supposed to be teaching. How well would you do on a history test if your history teacher had to spend all your class time teaching you to wash your face, wear clean underwear and eat with a fork?
POSTED JUNE 9, 1998
Colette, white, inkwolf@earthlink.net, Seymour, WI

FURTHER NOTICE 7:
I agree with Colette. Children who come from poor neighborhoods are not genetically inferior. If a child goes to a school in a poor neighborhood, chances are they are not learning what they should to prepare for a standardized test such as the SAT. How can you say a child shouldn’t make excuses and to study really hard if they are being taught subjects to prepare them for low-skill jobs instead of college? I read a book by David Kozol called Savage Inequalities that discusses this problem. Not only that, I have a cousin who went to such a school. It used second-hand textbooks, and the teachers, he says, did not expect their students to go on to higher education. Why would blame the student for failure to achieve in this situation?
POSTED JUNE 23, 1998
Katherine, Richmond, IN

FURTHER NOTICE 8:
To Ify: Part of it is economic, part of it is cultural racism. I went to all-white elite college prep schools and lived in all-black upper middle class neighborhoods. I had SAT tutors, but still my performance was “average” – I have come to find out that I am a very average standardized test taker, no matter what the test is. However, I also know that I perform excellently on non-standardized tests, etc., like essays. That being said, part of the problem is some people aren’t good at taking tests. Part of the problem is economics – preparation is key. Many children who go to schools in urban communities have to deal with a lot of extra-academic activities that are going around in their communities. Add to that underfunding of schools, overcrowding and lack of technology, and you have lack of preparation. Imagine if I had gone to an underfunded urban school – I probably would have performed less than average on my tests, seeing that I’m average to begin with. Moreover, many of today’s parents just don’t emphasize education enough in the home. If they did, we wouldn’t have such mediocrity in the schools that we are paying for with our tax dollars. And finally, who are these tests written by? Usually whites. And in America, what is important to blacks and whites, say historically, isn’t necessarily the same. An interesting fact that I have heard is that many black children perform well in math and science on standardized tests. Why? because math and science are universal. One last point: I noticed that you are from Nigeria. I don’t mean to assume anything about your particular background, but many of the Africans I have come into contact with on the collegiate level (since we are talking about the SAT here) have been educated in their home countries in the “finest” (British white, or other colonialists) of traditions – learning the King’s English, and so forth. That is much different from being educated in America’s racially and economically segregated public schools.
POSTED DEC. 9, 1998
Mel B., black female, Detroit, MI
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THE QUESTION:
R272: I am an Israeli and have never had a chance to talk with Arabs. I would like to know from an Arab: What do you really think of Israelis?
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
Maya, 23, student, Tel Aviv, Israel
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THE QUESTION:
R271: I plan to go through medical school within the next two to three years. I am without a mate and am afraid that if I meet and marry someone who is not African American, I will be looked upon as a typical “brotha” who made it and then shunned his “sistas,” when that would not be the case at all. Should I make extra efforts to be with a woman of color, or should finding true love in any form be my No. 1 priority?
POSTED MAY 15, 1998
Traye O., 24, African American <doctraye@aol.com>, Seattle, WA

ANSWER 1:
I think love is color-blind. Choosing someone because they are of a particular ethnic or religious background is detrimental to the pursuit of true happiness. I have found that not limiting my spousal selection to my racial backround has been the best decision of my life. I think it might be in your best interests to ask yourself if you are strong enough to deal with the prejudice that you need to face with someone outside of your ethnic background. But remember, if you are true to your heart, then dating someone of a different ethnic or religious background won’t be selling out.
POSTED MAY 20, 1998
T. Jazz <tmjast@hotmail.com>, Morioka, Iwate, Japan

FURTHER NOTICE:
Finding true love is your priority. However, it seems you already have it in your mind that you will not find a black woman. If you want a “sista” you will find one, but if you choose to date or marry outside of your race, there will be plenty of choices, especially as a black doctor. Statistics show that interracial dating and marriages are on the rise dramatically, especially among black men and white women.
POSTED MAY 21, 1998
T. Spen, black female <auset2be@aol.com>, Largo, MD

FURTHER NOTICE 2:
Assuming that you don’t have any negative perceptions about black women, why be concerned with the views of people who would make such petty, superficial judgments without knowing anything about you? If you’re lucky enough to find a special someone who finds you special, too, passing them up because of what other people will think sounds like a mistake to me!
POSTED MAY 26, 1998
Jay B., black male <jayboyd@ameritech.net>, Detroit, MI

FURTHER NOTICE 3:
It sounds like you have already made up your mind about whom you choose to date. But for now, why don’t you just concentrate on finishing your degree?
POSTED MARCH 11, 1999
K., black female, Viirginia Beach, VA
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