Its time to take off the blinders and look at yourself and see what you are doing to the Black race. My beautiful sisters its okay to think about self. Have we forgotton about our race of people? Have you forgotton about the white race history? The jews don't marry Germans.

Black women need to stop being doormats and under some "not qualified Black man's thumb" just because he is BLACK. We got ghettos full of "BLACK LOVE" children running around and wondering "Who their daddy is"! For some insane reason, IR love has to be for the "right reasons", please tell me WHY we are not questioning these unions of Black love that produce kids being brought up without a husband/daddy? If BW dated out more and married out more and were valued by men of other races, watch how quick BM would start valuing us! Competition makes men step up their game..Period!! Sistas, know your worth!

Thank You Essence for opening our minds and eyes. If we take a moment to review the bible it never states race, but man and woman to be fruitful and multiply. History played a major for our ignorance to interracial dating. It's time to take off the blinders and Love.

This message is for Larry that said that sistahs will be polluted if they cross over to a white man. How dare you say something like that when half of our black men have done this to their women in case you haven't noticed lately? I have been thought that black women should have been stepped out on their race a long time ago and stop waiting on a black man to love instead of finding A Man to love. I date a black man because he is who makes me happy at the moment but if we were to stop seeing each other I am open to dating a man outside the black race. To all black women, black aint always where it's at and white could definitely be what is right. Take a chance on love because our men have left us hanging long ago.

I see nothing wrong with interracial dating. We are all created equal in the eyes of God. I am an African American female and I have nor see color. Congratulations to all the interracial married couples. It takes a lot of strength, love and commitment to have a successful marriage. If you can withstand all the hate that goes along with it, that makes you the stronger person. Keep doing what your doing!

The deep rooted terror white people have done to our ancestors... I know, you say, "That was long ago.",, African Americans are still suffering from it. Essence, by publishing this senseless story you are encouraging this mind set. For a strong health African American race of people we need blacks to have babies. Tthis is the last ditch effort for white people to exist, Whites are at zero population rate. White woman aren't reproducing, most white men are either sterile or gay. Now its the mad dash for black women; like its a fashion statement or its in Vogue. I hear white boys talking, One asj to the other, have you had a black bitch yet? the other white boy said, not yet, I heard they are some real sluts in bed. I stood up and walked over and said, you barbarians will never change. That cave man is in your DNA. You don't deserve to be with a black woman. I walked away with their mouths dropped to the table. Black men and women fight for each others love. The Real!

To Radiant T: Black women should be giving qualified men of other races a chance. There may or may not be a shortage of good black men, but what I do know is that black women are making passes on other races of men simply because they are not black. That's not right black men shouldn't even get brownie points for being black because if you do that then all they will do is take black women for granted.

I'm tired of Blackmen, they dont believe in relationships, thats why African American women are dying,its time for us sisters to think outside the box, I dated outside my race, and that man was better then any other brother I had, he was honest, caring stable, and believed in a relationship. Blackmen just want to have as many women as they can, Not all black men are bad just majority are, and thats the truth......Fed up with Blackmen.

Thank you for posting this!!! Black women NEED to know that there are other options. Love should know no color. I'm sick of all of this "black love" brainwashing. Love should be love no matter what skin color you are. We are all God's children and we are all deserving of love.

I am a white woman who has dated outside of her race with a biracial daughter. I am glad to see that black woman are taking a chance to date outside of there own race. I feel that so many times it is white woman with black men. There definitely is compatability between a black woman and white men. It's was nice to see this article. I think if you are a educated person that you will not subject yourself to ignorance. However, interacial dating is not for everyone. I feel that if you put your life in that hand of jesus christ he will never lead you the in the wrong direction. Always trust in the lord.

Ladies, Sign yourselves up on eHarmony. There so many wonderful Black Men out there. I don't know why anyone is having trouble. I am so sick of the institutional dilution of our people. I live in a lily white area and I just say NO! Just get outside the box. All our Black Men are not broke, deadbeat dads, unemployed, underemployed, unemployable or incarcerated. Get on eHarmony girls. You will be a kid in a candy shop.

I see no problem with interracial dating. I have previously dated outside of my race and enjoyed those friendships/relationships. You only have one life, and if you find happiness with someone who happens to be outside of your race, religion, or whatever, then I say go for it. I even tell my kids that (yes, even my sons). I cannot and will not dictate their happiness. I do teach them to be proud of their Blackness, but I don't think that if they date someone that is not Black, then they aren't proud to be Black. Personally, I am glad that Essence did this story. It happens. Why not celebrate those relationships, also? On a side note, I had NO IDEA that many of those men were married to or seeing Black women (but I'm not much of a celebrity follower, the title of this email intrigued me)-George Lucas? The guy from Grey's Anatomy? Wow!

Part 2: We need to work on ourselves before we can "fix" anyone else. If your reasons for IR dating are negatively motivated, you need to discover why. If your reasons for not IR dating are negatively motivated, you need to discover why. I have been with a AA man for years and we have a beautiful daughter and are constantly stopped by WM & WW and told how beautiful she is. My husband is frequently asked if he is some other ethnicity. Why is it WE can't see ourselves as beautiful? Have we been brainwashed by stereotypes that would have us limit ourselves in some grand conspiracy or are we just lacking something within ourselves? I beg the question.AGE HERE

Part 1: I am happy that Essence published this article online for the whole world to see. I think it is time we as a community at large address this issue and this message board provides a forum in which to do so. If we were to have a town hall meeting on this topic and worked to resolve the issues within the AA race, we would see that most of the issues are internal, not external.

I am 25 years old and it seems that my generation is more open to interracial dating/marriage than older generations. My parents grew up during the civil rights movement in the south (Tennessee and Mississippi). Their views on this topic is completely different than mine. When I first went off to college my dad hugged me, handed me money, then said, "Now don't come home with no white boy." I was 18 but that was the first time I noticed the problem through my dad. I attend a church that is literally multicultural all the way around. I must admit that when I first went to college and attended my current church I was culture shocked! Now, I'm open to dating anyone that God has for me. I don't see why we must limit ourselves. I haven't forgotten where I've come from and my history. I'm proud of who I am. Wanting to date/marry someone of a different race will never change that.