American Blog

“There are some things in this world, captain Niobe, that will never change.” – Morpheus From the Matrix Reloaded

Back in the early 1970’s I recall meeting a friend of my mother, a woman from the South. I recall her for many reasons, her nickname, her personality, and her husband. At the moment I’ll share a bit about her marriage.

Kitty and her husband were an interracial couple (they were married to the day that Kitty died of cancer and a bad hospital – well over 25 years after I first met them). That may not sound like a big deal in 2007, but in 1972 it was. That isn’t very long ago, and since that time things have changed, and then again as Morpheus states some don’t.

Case in point is the Fiesta Bowl. It was a great game and I wrote a bit about it. I recall that it was the first post for 2007. After the very close win, by the undefeated Boise State Broncos, there was a bit of a surprise for all the nation to see. Ian Johnson, the running back responsible for the overtime win, went over to his girlfriend and proposed with ESPN and other national television cameras catching every second. Chrissy Popadics said yes, without hesitation. They are an interracial couple.

Fast forward to today, and it’s being reported that death threats are part of the negative comments being hurled at the soon-to-be newlyweds. So vicious and troubling are the threats, security is required for the wedding.

This is hardly a unique case. I know of other interracial couples that are also running into difficulty like this today as well. Not to mention that back over a year ago I wrote a post about Ms. Sanaa Lathan in the film Something New. I have seen that every month, interracial dating is on of the topics my blog is found under. To be exact, the terms being searched are accusatory and negative towards interracial dating.

With all the advances and changes that have occurred since the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-60’s, social change has been the best and worst of things. The youth of today use terms that were used 40 years ago as a rally cry to lynch and beat African Americans. There are more African Americans in the middle class, owning and running businesses. We have seen 2 Secretaries of State, and now a serious contender for the Presidency of the United States that is Black. Yet, for all the mostly younger people that date with no barrier from color of skin, there still is anger and dislike of the concept on both sides.

In 1972 Kitty had to move 7 states away, and was disowned from her family, as was her husband, just to be safe. In 2007 a heralded star of the Fiesta Bowl has to have the same type of fear. Why?

Not only why, but what does it mean? I’m sure that not everyone that is against interracial marriages, or dating, would kill over it. But some obviously still would. Not everyone would disown their family memebrs over this, but some still do. Why is it not enough to be human and in love?

Personally I don’t really care, but perhaps millions of others do. A minority of them feel so strongly as to consider murder. Yet how many of the youth of today feel there is no racism any longer. How many state that all the playing fields are even. Perhaps they just haven’t run into a situation, or did not recognize it because obviously it still exists.

America will continue to be divided and have issues while views and actions over interracial couples exist. That does not mean I think everyone must be integrated, nor segregated in their relationships. I think people need to be themselves and live. Live without the fear of violence, and perhaps death just because of how they are with.

We can never be a nation indivisible until the response to the quote by Morpheus I opened this with can be countered by another quote from The Matrix Revolutions,

“And some things do” – Niobe