Western Courier

Issue date: 3/11/05 Section: News

Media Credit: Casey Defrates Lisa Lyons, organizer of the Spit it Out forum, poses questions about interracial dating at the forum Wednesday evening.

What was supposed to be a Spit It Out forum on interracial dating ended up being an open forum about the topic Wednesday night, after the scheduled panelists did not arrive.

Lisa Lyons, college student personnel graduate student and organizer of the event for the Gwendolyn Brooks Cultural Center, led discussion by asking the audience tough questions dealing with interracial dating instead.

The group of different races and sexes consisted of people who were willing to share their views and experiences concerning interracial dating. Lyons asked the group members how they felt about interracial dating and most said they didn't have a problem with it.

Ann Marie Lewis, sophomore pre-nursing major, is the child of an interracial relationship, with a white mother and a black father.

"I am the product of two beautiful cultures that came together. I'm proud to be black and I'm proud to be white," Lewis said.

Lewis grew up in a predominantly black neighborhood, but went to a predominately white school. Although she is proud of her background, she felt some confusion growing up.

"When I was with my black friends they said I was acting too white, and when I was with my white friends they said I was acting too black. I would ask myself, 'should I be more like the white girls or more like the black girls?' I just ended up being me," Lewis said.

Jennifer Gilson, senior special education major, was in an interracial relationship in the past and felt how society could be unaccepting of her relationship.

"We'd get out and people on the street would make side comments or people would look at us funny. But to those people I just said 'shut up - you don't have to date him so butt out.' It was tough on our relationship, but we tried not to care what people thought," Gilson said.

Although Gilson and her former boyfriend tried to ignore how society treated them, it wasn't always easy.

"It definitely took a toll on our relationship," she said.

Some people people who have dated out of their race in the past or were currently involved in an interracial relationship said that skin color doesn't matter.

Marqutia Berry, junior journalism major, said she values the degree of comfort with a person over skin color.

Lyons then asked the audience why people have problems with interracial dating and admitted some racial animosity she felt in the past.

"I used to think that all the white women were taking all the good black guys, but now I realize that is not the case. If it's not meant for me, then I don't want it," Lyons said.

The audience members were in agreement that race doesn't matter, as long as their significant others treat them well. Tabia Hubbert, psychology graduate student, said no matter what, kindness to each other is the most important.

"What color does 'treat me right' come in? I'll take that to go," Hubbert said.

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