Gender Troubles

In one of Childs many discussions she talks about gender troubles. She says, “At Central State University, one of the black female students also expressed these sentiments, saying “ black men are in fashion; call it the resurgence of the black male. It’s like interracial dating is a fashion statement, a token, especially when it is a black athlete… white girls are always saying, oh, black guys are so much cooler, so much cuter,’ and always asking to be hooked up with them” (Childs 157-158). The reason that I stated off with this part of the discussion was because of this common stereotype African American woman have. I feel that people cannot help who they happen to find attractive even if the opposite race. From this persons response the reader can tell that this person has a problem with society moving out of it’s norm. One of the couples made a comment about her life. Victoria says,
Oh, God, I think I have heard every negative thing about white woman, black man. I understand it more now but in school it was hard because it was like every day someone was saying something about me from all sides white guys were like, “Why throw it away on a black guy? He’s just using you” and black girls would harass me, call me names, and always act like Chris was with me because I had money or did things for him, which I didn’t, and I think I let it go to me…”(Childs 158)
Her experience reflects on the way others perceive interracial couples. The outside world assumes that they only way she could was able to get Chris were because of what they thought she had. I noticed even ever an interracial couple was in the public domain 24/7 that made the relationship even more difficult. Why do people find joy in destroying that is not the usual? Chris also talks about the relationship with Victoria. He says,
“This is a sore subject for her because we did have a lot of problems, and I think when we were younger, it’s like you do let what friends say kinds of change the way you feel, and just like Victoria said. I think for me another part of it was this perception among the guys I played with [college basketball team] that she would sleep around because that was how a lot of the white girls who liked black guys acted” (Childs158).
It a shame that the guys Chris played basketball would talk about Victoria liked that. I find that to be disrespectful because woman should never be treated like that. Chris did not take their advice because he is still with Victoria. It was difficult for Chris not to listen when to his friends. However, he picked his heart instead because it did not judge Victoria because of her race. It’s harder for woman interracial couples they have to learn to take the criticism from people who are afraid of the world changing.