Interracial Relationship Round Up

Alicia Keys, who I consider one of my all-time favorite artists, has a new video out that is, sad to say, seriously disappointing. It’s sort of a time travel through Hollywoodized interracial relationships, complete with a white dude in a truck and a bunch of angry black men. Really, Alicia?

Granted, music videos rarely portray human relationships with any sort of emotional authenticity, but this is one of the most objectifying, shallow portrayals of love I’ve laid eyes on in awhile. It falls into all of the tired stereotypes of the tragic interracial love story, without really driving home any of the real struggle, politics, and/or potential liberation of such unions. Having previously been in one for almost ten years, I know a thing or two about a thing or two. You’d think Alicia would too, given her own background, but apparently she left the writing of this little trip down interracial memory lane up to folks who had no idea how loaded and complex it really is (and has been).
Thea Lim has a thorough analysis over at Racialicious that is not to be missed.
In fact, it turns out that though interracial relationships have continued to rise, they’ve slowed in recent years except among blacks. As the AP reports, “The latest trend belies notions of the U.S. as a post-racial, assimilated society.” Ah yeah, ya think?
Don’t forget that Loving Day is coming up on June 13th. Get involved in celebrating the fall of the last U.S. anti-miscegenation law.