Black Women's Improvement Project (BWIP)

Mr. “Is Marriage for White People?” Himself Talks to BB&W

Rick Banks got a lot of push-back when he was featured in the Wall Street Journal and Essence and he told black women they should do what every other race is already doing in his book, Is Marriage for White People? How the African American Marriage Decline Affects Everyone.

The GAT-DL is in full force trying to discredit and silence him, and critical thinker that I am, I don’t really have a taste for what’s spoon fed to me. So, I called Rich myself (thanks again Eliss for passing along that press release) and guess what?! He answered his phone!

I thought he’d wonder who the hades I was, but when he replied with “Yeah, I know you–No Wedding No Womb, right?” Then and there I knew this guy was on our side. Don’t let the Guardians of All Things Dark and Lovely fool you–he’s not about black women manipulating black men into acting right so they’ll marry us; rather, he’s writes a lot about how dating interracially evens the playing field and widens the dating pool and prospects for black women.

What’s crazy is that most people criticizing Rick’s book haven’t even read it, BECAUSE IT HASN’T EVEN COME OUT YET!! They just have a knee-jerk reaction to any hint whatsoever of black women pursuing a live of wholeness and happiness that does not include carrying black men along.

One critic says, “The only viable solution for black women’s low likelihood of marriage is to correct society’s failure to educate all our boys,” say sociologist Micere Keels of the University of Chicago.

UGG. Really? So…generations of black women should just sacrifice and waitandwaitandwaitandwaitandwaitandwaitandwait until the government decides to enlist some program to educate black boys?

I. Can’t. I just, can not with these people.

Why the HELL aren’t black women looking that this horse ptooey for what is IS???!!! Donkey Kong’s dung! Why aren’t they angry that there a not-so-subtle conspiracy to keep them responsible for the whole day-um race while our counterparts get off Scott free?

Among other stuff, Rick talks about working to release black women from being held hostage in pursuing all their relationship options. His goal in the book is to help de-stigmatize interracial dating for us–which makes me really, really like him.

Take a listen, then tell me what you think.
Ralph Richard Banks by Christelyn

*Note: Carolyn Edgar is VP & Legal Counsel with Estee Lauder, not General Counsel.

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