Joelle Kanyana.
TN
Going to school in a town where I’m in the minority as a black girl (Burundian heritage, Ghana-born, American citizen) has its interesting experiences. One that always seems to repeat itself is the matchmaking by my classmates with the black guys there. I’ve had this conversation many times before: “Joelle, you’d look so good with *insert name of one of 3 black guys in my class.*” I’ve been taught to not make a scene when it comes to remarks that racially bother me. Also, I tend to fall for the preppy white-boy type, so my response is usually a smile and a casual brushing off of the comment.
My dislike of these statements are not stemmed from any aversion to dating black guys because choosing my interests is based on much more than race. In fact, as an upcoming senior in high school, dating is the last thing on my mind. And, I guess since we’re in the minority, our circumstances have turned those black guys in my class into my brothers rather than my prospective romantic interests.
What bothers me is that it seems like the only requirement for a guy to be dateable for me is if he shares the same race. But my other classmates can be picky regarding style and personality and interests.
