We claim that racism has no place in our society, and yet, millions throughout the world endure it every single day. When Asharel and Brady met each other in college, race wasn’t on their mind. They simply fell for each other, hard. After graduating, they got engaged shortly afterward. Unfortunately, that is when their struggles began.
The experience of marrying someone you love can be quite exhilarating. But what happens when people try to mar it? In an article for Love What Matters, Asharel says, “As an interracial couple, we have learned to ignore some people while out in public.” But that isn’t all. What is the story behind it all?
Asharel spoke about her and her husband’s childhood. While both were taught to love irrespective of race, it obviously didn’t pass on to others in their neighborhood.
“Growing up in Glenpool [in Oaklahoma] was easy for me because everyone made me feel welcomed, and as though the color of my skin did not matter. I played on sports teams, and I loved everyone there. Although going to Glenpool was different for our family, my parents always taught me to love everyone, no matter the color of their skin, and this is what I did,” Asharel said.
Her husband, Brady, too had a similar upbringing.
Race Differences- Racism in 2020
“My husband grew up in a small town where there were no black people or hardly any at all, but he was also taught to love others despite their skin. He played on basketball teams with other black guys, had black coaches, and has had several black friends throughout the years. Even though he went to a majority white school, he did not see that blacks and white were to be segregated. He loved his black friends and coaches as if they were his own family.”
The couple decided to ignore other comments, but it wasn’t easy.
“As an interracial couple, we have learned to ignore some people while out in public. As an interracial couple, we sometimes get glares from both the white and black communities. Glares that are meant to be judgmental since we are married outside of our race. The glares and hateful stares have never bothered my husband and I, but we definitely notice it. We have been together for so long and have come so far in our relationship that we just laugh, and talk about how ridiculous people are in 2020 to still judge an interracial couple,” Asharel said.
A Healthy Couple That Has Never Let The Difference Come Between Them
The hateful comments never stop. Even though humanity has progressed beyond belief, some of us are still set in our ways. Asharel says that daily life comes with a lot of ‘dirty looks,’
“We have encountered people who have made comments about dating outside of our race. We have been called c**ns. We have been to the fair, different states, Lowe’s, and many other places where people will still stare and give dirty looks. When we were younger in our relationship, we would get upset because we did not understand why people would judge an interracial couple who have nothing but love for one another. When we were younger, we tried to understand why people are the way they are when it comes to interracial relationships.”
Read: They Received Hate Letters For Their Love–55 Years Later, They’re Still Together
Growing In Love- Race, Creed, Class, Gender, Nothing Matters
But it doesn’t bother the beautiful couple anymore. After spending so much time with someone, one would get to understand them deeply, something that goes beyond race.
“We are now more mature in our relationship and we understand why people are the way they are. We understand people are judgmental, no matter how much we love one another. We understand people do not want a black person dating or marrying a white person, or a white person dating or marrying a black person. But we have come to understand it does not matter what other people think. We love each other so much that it only makes our love grow stronger for one another. From this interracial relationship, we have both learned so much about one another’s background and we have grown together as a couple.”
This couple also has a beautiful daughter to complete their family.
“To our little mixed girl, we will teach her to love everything about her curls, fair skin, and green eyes. We will educate her on both her black and white cultural background. We will teach her to love every ounce of herself, no matter what society says about interracial people.”
If only there were more people like this couple. After all, one’s race should never come between matters of the heart.
Keep Reading: 74 Years Ago, She Was Kicked Out For Loving A Black Man–Today, Their Love Still Lives
Sources
- “‘We married ‘outside of our race.’ We get hateful stares, slurs. Still, we will continue to love one another and grow stronger.’: Woman in interracial couple says ‘we will rise above negativity’.” Love What Matters
