The folks at SheKnows.com asked me to lend them some wisdom on the oft studied, oft misunderstood, oft discussed, oft debated tangle of that, that, and the other regarding interracial relationships.

Here’s a bit:

1. Are interracial relationships still controversial, even in 2012? 

Yes; interracial relationships are still controversial, but not necessarily for the reasons you might think. The controversy often depends on the race and gender of the people “swirling.” For example, Pew Research data recently revealed that 24 percent of black men marry interracially, while only 9 percent of black women do. That’s huge! And…there’s a reason for that. Call it a displaced racial loyalty, social conditioning or the curse of patriarchy, but black women take on all kinds of burdens when they venture out of their race to find partners. Immigrant children — particularly Asians and Indians — also face extreme family pressure if they intermix or intermarry. 

2. What’s the one piece of advice you’d offer people in an interracial relationship? 

Best piece of advice I could give anyone? Leave your issues about racial identity, historical oppression and/or contempt for “The Man”at home. The person you are dating should not be burdened with being the representative for an entire race, people! It takes more brain cells, but you’ve got to judge people on a case-by-case basis. 

3. Do you have a tip for interracial couples dealing with unwanted attention, like stares or pointed comments? 

Why yes, I do. Wanna read the rest? Click here.