This is a letter that I wrote to Ebony Magazine in 2004 after reading one of their articles entitled, "Coping With the Acute Male Shortage." It focused on the apparent lack of "available males" on college campuses for Black American women. I personally believe, and always have believed, that "staying with the race" is a truly stupid notion, given that the only color of blood I've ever seen is red, not black, white, yellow, purple, plaid, or otherwise. Nonetheless, I decided, as a so-called "multi-racial" individual, to provide some insight, from a man's point of view. At the time that I wrote this, I was already in a relationship with someone and thus, obviously, not seeking another partner. I later married that same woman.

Unfortunately, this same situation still appears to be true years after I wrote it.

Ebony Magazine
Mr. Lerone Bennett, Jr., Executive Editor
820 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605

Dear Mr. Bennett:

Last night I read the article entitled "Coping With the Acute Male Shortage" in the September 2004 issue. As a man who at one point was interested in Black American women, I would like to share some male insight.

Like Halle Berry or Christopher "Kid" Reid, I too am what you'd call "mixed." Not so long ago, when I was in college at the University of Washington in Seattle, I found myself attracted to several Black American women. I even "busted a move" in a polite, dignified manner, as I was raised to do by my Dad. Without exception, the Black American women looked at me with their lips curled in scorn, and several actually called me "White boy." The "nicer" ones would tell me, "oh, I'm attracted to darker men" and such. This was true not just in Seattle, but around the country (I used to travel a lot). After enough bruises from all the kicks to the curb, I got the hint...and I stopped. Since then, I've not asked out any Black American women, and I don't foresee it happening in the future.

Matter of fact, today I am seeing a White woman, someone whom I've been seeing for four years now. She doesn't have Halle Berry's physique. She got me by being a consummate lady.

If the Black American women at these colleges want men, then I would suggest that they take their hands off of their hips, stop snapping their fingers in the "Z" formation, and be nice. Given my experience, which is all I have to go on, I understand why they may be having trouble finding and keeping men.

Sincerely,

Terrell Prude', Jr.

Copyright (C) 2007, 2023 Terrell Prude', Jr.
Verbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted in any medium without royalty provided this notice is preserved.

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