More often than not the media present to us a stereotype of
black men that a certain type of women would be attracted to. The black men
that we see on TV or on the internet are usually athletes or rappers. Think of
50 Cent, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg. Many white women looking for blackmen often assume that all black people have a music talent. The more sporty
ones hope that their black partner will have the sport performance of Cullen
Jones, Michael Jordan or Michael Johnson. However, this is often not the case.
Not all black men have a talent that lies in the niche of music, dancing or
sports. There are many black people who are more interested in a book than
their car. It's just that the media do not find their stories that interesting.
So if you want to date black men but think that
you won't have anything in common, just because you might be the intellectual
type, well, think again! Following is a list of black men who made a difference
in their own niches, none of which has to do with the legendary muscle system
of African Americans.
The president: Barack Obama
The president of the United States is black. Who would have
thought of it a century ago? A Columbia and Harvard graduate, Obama has a law
degree and worked as a civil rights attorney in the past. In 1995 his book,
Dreams of My Father, was published, just before the beginning of his political
career. Loved by many for his approach towards human rights and criticized by
others for his financial and foreign affairs policies, Barack Obama sure is a
dynamic personality. Educated, active and powerful, he sure is the dream man
for many women, despite being happily married for many years.
The activist: Geoffrey Canada
Yes, another mature man on the list. The Harlem Children’s
Zone Charter School CEO is admired by parents, teachers, children, researchers
and educators. The HCZ, Canada's vision, offers high quality education with a
goal to increase high school and college graduation rates within Harlem. Prenatal
and parenting classes are offered as well. Which woman wouldn't like to be at
the side of an activist who wants to make the world a better place?
The journalist: Tony Harris
Talk about a man of adventure! The former anchorman of CNN
Newsroom and then Al Jazeera English presenter has covered many stories around
the world. From the return of democracy in Haiti to the effects of Golf War
Syndrome, he is not afraid to go where the news is. Currently residing in Doha,
Qatar, Harris is trying to figure out the complexity of eastern societies, as
he said in a recent interview.
The chef: Marcus Samuelsson
Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Samuelsson started
his studies at the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg. In 2003 the James Beard
Foundation named him “Best Chef: New York City”. And he has been doing better
and better since then. He has served Barack Obama as a guest chef, he is
teaching culinary arts in Swedish Universities, he is an adviser of the
Institute of Culinary Education of New York. By the end of 2013 he will open
his own restaurant in Sweden and probably many ladies will be charmed by his
culinary skills.
The author: E.C. Osondu
The Nigerian writer won the 2009 Caine Prize for African
Writing. He has also won the Allen and Nirelle Galso Prize for Fiction and his
work has been featured in Agni, Vice, Fiction, The Atlantic and Guernica. In
2010 his debut novel was published, called Voice of America. It is a look at
Nigeria and the way its youth see America as an almost mythical place, blessed
with abundance.
Of course, if you go back to history you can find thousands
of black politicians, authors, activists, poets, philosophers, journalists...
The issue is that in a society where you have to be rich and famous to be on
the media, white girls looking for black men only see the one end of the
spectrum. So if you are a white women and until today you thought that the only
things black men care about is their bodies, their cars and their sports
performance, you need to reconsider. You also need to keep a more open mind and
critical stance towards stereotypes. Black men and women, much like white or
Asian men and women, come each with their own interests and personalities and
they all have something different to offer. Diversity is what makes our world
such a beautiful place after all!
