There once was a time when it was very rare to see people of two different races dating. In this day and age it is a very common thing. Here at North Point there are many couples that date outside of their race.

Darrell Lewis (’13), who is black, and Marcee Osborne (’13), who is Filipino and white, have been in a relationship for four years. Lewis said that dating someone of a different race makes it “juicier.” “It makes me culturally well-rounded. I know what kind of food they (Filipinos) make and what words they use,” explained Lewis. “She calls me ‘cogi’- it means handsome.” For Osborne, dating Lewis has made her listen to the same type of music that he does.

Dating someone of a different race could have an impact on the parents. “My parents had to get use to him because he is a different race,” stated Osborne. Other parents do not think anything of it. “My parents are an interracial couple so there has never been any controversy at home with it,” said Marquella Allen (’13).

Allen and Andrew Lohr (’13) have been dating for eight months. Lohr is white and Allen is mainly mixed with black and white. For them, race has not impacted them in any way. Race is not on their list of preferences when searching for mister or misses right. Allen stated, “I have dated people that were black and white but when I am ‘looking for someone’ I do not really factor their race into it.”

Briana Williams (’13), who is black, tends to mostly date white boys. It is not that she discriminates, they just happen to have the characteristics of the type of guy she is looking for. “I have no particular preference, I just like guys who treat me good, listen to me, and spoil me to death, and they just all happen to be white,” said Williams. Tyler Piper (’13) is the one that has been meeting her standards for five months. He has dated white and mixed people, Williams is the first black person he has dated.  He feels that one race should not be more important than the other which is why he does not have a particular preference.

It is obvious that race is not an issue for these couples. If anything, a different race is what makes them like each other even more. “Her race does contribute to her overall personality just as much as her culture, religion and background,” said Lohr. For the most part, race does not matter to any of them. “Our relationship does not depend on the color of each others skin, or how our families look, we do not focus on the unnecessary, that way we can enjoy all the time we have with each other,” stated Lohr. Lewis said, “Race is not a preference, it is just her heart that speaks to me.”