White and Black

Kelly Anderson, 20, dates men based on the content of their character.

Anderson is just like any other Florida State University student; she is nervous about her impending mid-terms and excited for the homecoming game this weekend. What sets her apart from the majority of her classmates is that she is dating someone of a different race.

Anderson, who is Caucasian, has been dating her boyfriend Jared Terry, an African-American, for six years. Anderson attended high school in Atlanta, a city rife with racial tension.

“I don’t think that [Atlanta] was very forgiving of our relationship,” said Anderson. “Anytime we held hands in public or went on dates someone would glare at us or give us a dirty look.”

Anderson found the environment at FSU much more accepting of her interracial relationship.

“The girls that I met freshman year were much more receptive to the idea of an interracial couple than the kids back at my high school,” said Anderson.

According to Kara Joyner, assistant professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University and co-author of a study on interracial relationships, racial prejudice regarding relationships is beginning to decrease.

"We think that's because relationships are more likely to be interracial the more recently they were formed, so younger people are more likely to have interracial relationships. This trend reflects the increasing acceptance of interracial relationships in today's society," said Joyner.

Anderson’s father doesn’t necessarily agree that America is becoming more accepting of interracial relationships.

“I dated a black woman in college and no one said a word to me about it,” said Joseph Anderson, Kelly’s father. “I’ve never understood why Kelly has caught so much flack for dating [Terry]… It could be the north/south divide.” Mr. Anderson attended Notre Dame University.

Anderson said that racial profanities have been yelled at her and that verbal threats have been made against her because of her relationship with Terry.
“Black girls used to come up to me and threaten me. They didn’t like that I was dating a black guy,” said Anderson. “The girls would actually come up to me and tell me to stop stealing from their race.”

Anderson’s brother, Kevin, 19, always supported his sister dating someone of another race.

“My parents raised us to be very open,” said Kevin Anderson. “ I never had a problem with her dating Jared. He treats her well and that’s what matters to me…I’ve gained a lot of respect for [Kelly and Jared], watching them go through some of the stuff they’ve been through.”

Anderson said that whenever someone new finds out she is dating an African-American, she feels obligated to defend her relationship.

“I always felt like I had to justify the fact that I was dating a black guy,” said Anderson. “Explain to people that he wasn’t ghetto so that they wouldn’t get the wrong idea about him.”

Anderson’s mother feels that the adversity her daughter faced for dating Terry made her a stronger individual.

“[Kelly] learned to stick up for herself at an early age,” said Nancy Anderson. “It was an emotional rollercoaster for all of us… She’d come home crying because someone would say something nasty to her.”

Anderson says the discrimination she faces almost daily is worth it.

“I want to love who I love,” said Anderson. “Not who society wants me to love.”