Interracial dating discussed at lecture

Boston University's African American Studies Program kicked off its annual weekly lecture series Tuesday with an open forum focused on interracial relationships and marriage.

Ronald Richardson, the program's director, opened the two-hour forum entitled "Interracial Relationships and Marriage," and emphasized the importance of comparative history and the need to promote dialogue among all races.

"We can't comprehend what is going on without understanding how we have influenced each other," Richardson said. "There are profound connections and influences waiting to be revealed."

Founded in 1969, AASP is the oldest graduate program of its type in the country. The program's enduring mission has been to create people-to-people bridges across nations and cultures, according to its website.

The discussion ranged from personal experiences to social and historical relationships that were challenged over time.

One of the event's main topics was the roles and stigmas associated with black women. The common concern was the strong, opinionated and overall negative image of black women and the reaction to them in relation to men of all races.

College of General Studies sophomore Dominique Jones said she was motivated to attend the lecture due to a survey she had taken last year for black females 18 and older concerning their experiences with on-campus dating at BU.

While attitudes toward interracial relationships have changed, Jones said she still felt barriers have existed.

"It is accepted," she said. "It is still hard for black females to find dating partners because of stereotypes."

Richardson said he looks forward to further discussion about the stigma regarding interracial dating and the causes that have created it.

Another popular area of conversation was the qualities of attraction of certain races and the people that are drawn to them.

Other issues touched on included the social status associated with marrying into certain races, race conflict embedded in the mind and the combination of outside family and societal pressure combined with personal pressures to fit and uphold a certain image.

Reverend Chauncey Moore, a 25-year AASP event attendee, said he believes open forums are particularly important since they allow students to meet the world through open discussion.

Moore said he feels today's dating, "revolves solely around sex," and believes that only interracial couples that love one another should be together.

Most students agreed previous taboos are more common and interracial relationships and marriages are accepted more than ever before because of generational changes.

Richardson said he felt the program succeeded in accomplishing the dual goals of creating dialogue between students and faculty members and establishing an open community for students to speak openly.

Richardson, a professor of global comparative history, has taught at BU for four and a half years.

Aaronthomas Green, a senior in communications with a minor in African American studies said he found the conversation to be particularly successful because of its all inclusive dialogue, which was not limited to African Americans and Asians.

CGS sophomore Emily Wiggins said the open forum provided many overlooked aspects of race relations including the relations between Koreans and Japanese as well as the seriousness of widespread black stigmas.

The second of the 11-part lecture series will be on Hip-Hop next Tuesday at the AASP Center at 138 Mountfort St.