Singer/Actress Jill Scott Says Interracial Dating Causes "A Bite, No Matter The Ointment, That Has Yet To Stop Burning"

Singer/actress Jill Scott sparks a debate over her recent article in Essence magazine in which she decries interracial dating.

Singer/Actress Jill Scott

Singer/actress Jill Scott sparked a debate over her recent article in Essence magazine entitled "Commentary: Jill Scott Talks Interracial Dating." She believes that black men should date and marry black women based on the treatment meted out to our ancestors during the darkest days in America's history where denigration of people of color was the norm. She stated that she "felt a little wince" when her African-American friend, who is a wealthy athlete, told her he had married a white woman. In the article, Scott explains that she believes the "wince" she felt does not come from her personal upbringing, but rather from the belief "that for women of color, this "wince" has mainly to do with the story of blacks in America, along with the historical implications behind interracial relationships.

When our people were enslaved, "Massa" placed his Caucasian woman on a pedestal. She was spoiled, revered and angelic, while the Black slave woman was overworked, beaten, raped and farmed out like cattle to be mated. She was nothing and neither was our Black man. As slavery died for the greater good of America, and the movement for equality sputtered to life, the White woman was on the cover of every American magazine. She was the dazzling jewel on every movie screen, the glory of every commercial and television show. She was unequivocally the standard of beauty for this country, firmly unattainable to anyone not of her race. We daughters of the dust were seen as ugly, nappy mammies, good for day work and unwanted children, while our men were thought to be thieving, sex-hungry animals with limited brain capacity.

We reflect on this awful past and recall that if a Black man even looked at a White woman, he would have been lynched, beaten, jailed or shot to death. In the midst of this, Black women and Black men struggled together, mourned together, starved together, braved the hoses and vicious police dogs and died untimely on southern back roads together. These harsh truths lead to what we really feel when we see a seemingly together brother with a Caucasian woman and their children. That feeling is betrayed. While we exert efforts to raise our sons and daughters to appreciate themselves and respect others, most of us end up doing this important work alone, with no fathers or like representatives, limited financial support (often court-enforced) and, on top of everything else, an empty bed. It's frustrating and it hurts! Source: Essence Magazine

Ms. Scott raises some good points, but are we going to live in the past? I was born in Jamaica where interracial marriages weren't out of the norm. Jamaica's motto, "out of many, one people," is visible in the faces of its children. As far back as I can remember, there was always a member of my family who dated outside our race and they were not criticized. On the contrary, they were embraced. There is a serious shortage of eligible black men and therefore, I would support my single black sisters looking beyond the color of their skin to find true love.

To be fair, Jill Scott points out that she's not trying to hurt anyone with her thoughts, but is just expressing her position on the subject. I have also dated outside my race and it wasn't about betraying my people. I just clicked with this guy and we had a lot in common. Though we broke up after about a year or so, I had no regrets about being in an interracial relationship. I enjoyed what it brought out in me and what we meant to each other. That was nearly 20 years ago and we have remained friends. I met my husband, a black man, 18 years ago and we have been married for nearly 16. I wouldn't want to change my journey and the people I met along the way for nothing, interracial dating and all. I'm just saying.

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