Pro-Black Men Who We’re Surprised Dated Or Marri

Message Rating: Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic Printable Version Translate Topic

Non-Black Women

Library of Congress
Frederick Douglass
Famed orator, activist and abolitionist Frederick 
Douglass became one of the nation’s most revered figures during the 
pre-Civil War and Civil War eras. After escaping slavery, Douglass 
turned his attention to the budding abolitionist movement sweeping the 
North. It wasn’t long before he would pen his first autobiography, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave.
 His commitment to the anti-slavery movement and, later, to women’s 
suffrage was undeniable. In an era when tempers flared and tensions were
 high on a number of social and political issues, it came as a shock to 
19th-century sensibilities when Douglass married his second wife Helen 
Pitts, a young, white feminist. Though the couple’s relationship was 
widely decried, Douglass answered criticism just as eloquently as he 
always conducted himself, saying his first marriage was to someone the 
color of his mother, while his second was to someone the color of his 
father.
Jody Cortes / WENN
Sidney Poitier
One of the most well-known, yet surprising 
interracial unions belongs to famed Bahamian actor and trail blazer, 
Sidney Poitier. The first African-American actor to win an Academy Award
 (for his role in Lilies of the Field), Poitier instantly 
became an icon for generations of soon-to-be black actors and actresses.
 His status as one of cinema’s preeminent black stars made his 1976 
marriage to Joanna Shimkus, a Canadian-born actress, somewhat 
surprising. Despite a little shock-value, the couple has remained 
hopelessly in love for the past 36 years and has brought into the world 
actresses Anika and Sydney Tamiia Poitier.
Library of Congress
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Arguably the most surprising and least known details
 of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life was his alleged romance with a German 
transfer student. Though rumors of King’s extramarital romances have 
circulated for years, on one hand his supposed dalliances with white 
women aren’t that surprising based on his life-long mission of equality 
and racial justice. Regardless of his extracurricular activities, 
though, there is little denying the impact and historical significant 
that King as well and his civil rights mission have had on black people 
and society as a whole.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com
Henry Louis Gates
Scholar and intellectual Henry Louis Gates has spent
 the vast majority of his life studying African-American identity 
politics and literature. Aside from becoming one of the most 
well-respected African-American scholars in the world, Gates has spent 
much of his time publicly speaking about the issues that impact the way 
black culture is viewed and understood by society. He has also been an 
avid champion of expanding the literary canon to include works that are 
more reflective of the United States, and that gives greater credit to 
African-American authors. Given Gate’s commitment to elevating the works
 and identities of black Americans, some may be surprised to find out 
that in 1973 he married a white woman named Sharon Lynn Adams. The 
couple had two daughters, but later divorced.
Joseph Marzullo/WENN.com
Harry Belafonte
“The King of Calypso” made a name for himself far 
outside just the entertainment industry. During the height of the civil 
rights movements, Harry Belafonte became a dear confidante of Martin 
Luther King, Jr., helping to provide financial support to the Southern 
Christian Leadership Conference and other causes in the civil rights 
movements. After King’s assassination, Belafonte continued the push 
toward equal rights and even became an executor of King’s estate. Aside 
from civil rights issues, Belafonte has been outspoken politically, 
openly criticizing the Bush administration. Given Belafonte’s relentless
 racial activism, it might come as a surprise that he has had a number 
of relationships with white women, including with former dancer Julie 
Robinson and photographer Pamela Frank.
Walker Art Center
Gordon Parks
Shaft director and co-founder of Essence
 Magazine, Gordon Parks spent his early years as a photographer 
chronicling life in Chicago’s South Side and in the nation’s capital. He
 attempted to show social injustice, racism and the need for change 
through many of his photos, including American Gothic, D.C. He moved on 
to his most lasting work, the blaxploitation film Shaft in the 
1970s and continued to champion civil rights. Though obviously showing 
an affinity and love of black women, Parks became romantically involved 
with railroad heiress Gloria Vanderbilt later in his life.
Danny Clifford/Hottwire.net/WENN.com
James Brown
“The Godfather of Soul” James Brown was more than 
just an influential musical artist. With an eye toward social justice 
and a desire to help usher in equal rights, Brown used his music to 
deliver a message about self-pride and identity. “Say It Loud – I’m 
Black and I’m Proud” continues to be one of Brown’s biggest and most 
heralded hits. So it may come as a surprise that Brown carried on a 
relationship with singer Tomi Rae Hynie.
WENN.com
Dave Chappelle
Dave Chapelle starred in a number of classic films 
before finally making his jump to Comedy Central to present “Chappelle’s
 Show.” The classic comedian often tackled sensitive issues such as 
racism and other hot button topics in a way that was both amusing yet 
very much real. Chappelle was far from bashful in making his views on 
race a secret and was quick to point out social injustice in the 
African-American community. So it may comes as a bit of a shock that he 
has been married to Filipina Elaine Mendoza Erfe.
PNP/WENN.com
Van Jones 
Former White House adviser Van Jones has spent much 
of his career working on matters of environmental advocacy and civil 
rights. He founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights as well as 
Color of Change, an organization created in the aftermath of Hurricane 
Katrina to encourage African-American political awareness and action. 
Though his career in the White House ended abruptly after a series of 
questionable associations came to light, one of the more surprising 
aspects of Jones’ life might be his long-time marriage to a white woman 
named Jana Carter.

Judy Eddy/WENN.com
Charlie Wilson
Recording artist Charlie Wilson has rubbed elbows 
with some of hip-hops biggest names. From collaborations with Snoop 
Dogg, Pharrell, Kanye West and U.G.K., the soulful Wilson has put his 
stamp on the music industry also as a solo artist with his Grammy 
Award-nominated single “There Goes My Baby.” Little-known, however, is 
his marriage to drug rehab social worker, Mahin. The two have been going
 strong since 1995.
Source: WENN
Flavor Flav
It’s surprising that a woman of any race would get with Flav, but 
there’s something especially surprising about the rapper behind such 
socially conscious hits as “Fight the Power” and “It Takes a Nation of 
Millions to Hold Us Back” to get involved with a white woman. In all 
fairness, Flav is an equal opportunity lover, having fathered a number 
of children by black women, but later in life he developed a liking for 
white women and got involved with Danish model Brigitte Nielsen.
Source: WENN
Cornel West
Though Google is swamped with searches like “cornel west white wife, 
cornel west white girlfriend, is cornel west married to a white woman,” 
there appears to be no conclusive answer to any of these questions. 
Cornel West has been said to have married a white woman, have a white 
girlfriend, and to even have impregnated a white undergrad student but 
when you Google the professor all you get is more questions, rumors, and
 images of just him with no women, white or black, and the name Elleni 
Gebre Amlak. If he is/was involved with a woman who wasn’t black it 
would be a surprise coming from someone who is so outspoken about the 
black experience and our struggle, but then again many feel he has his 
own issues with his black identity and wouldn’t find 
his interracial romantic choices the least bit shocking.

Edited by SamoneLenior - Nov 30 2012 at 4:41pm