Brought in heavy reinforcements on this! Here’s the question:

“I’m 16 years old and I’ve never even had a boyfriend before, sometimes I am content, but most of the time I am very lonely, the thing is, is that I have always been attracted to boys of other races, I have never been attracted to black boys before. I feel like there is something wrong with me. I also feel like I am not good enough for boys of other races, as if they look at me and say “ew, look at that black girl.” and I am the excact opposite of the “ghetto” stereotype. Recently I admitted my feelings to my crush (who is chinese) and I asked if we could hang out to which he declined (because he is “too lazy”) and I can’t help but wonder if it is because I am black, I mean, We have each others numbers and we are friends on facebook. I just kind of feel confused…Will I ever find someone who likes me for me?? “

Listening to Maxi’s response was especially illuminating to me. I knew that she leaned toward a certain racial preference, but I never really pressed it. In fact, there was a certain friend of hers, who is black and a basketball player who passed parental screening and I was trying to push it hard, but Maxi wasn’t having it. He’s her “Call of Duty” video game buddy, and not much else. What I respected was her candid observation of the racism she encounters…which is hard for a parent to hear…but you know that you are powerless to inoculate. All in all, I’m proud of their take on this.

High school is a strange place, is it not?

Mods…please put the comments on pre approved status, please. This will be a no-troll zone. This is the first time Maxi has agreed to be filmed…EVER. She did so to provide comfort and understanding to the letter writer.