“I always see it. That surprised face. That face that says, ‘Oh shit! My daughter did not ;bring home a black guy.” ; This is one of the first lines his Harris’s poem ‘Black Boyfriend,’ performed at the ;2015 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in June. The line describes the moment of meeting the fathers of past white girlfriends ;– and the visible surprise and disappointment. ; Harris, a Yale University student, goes on to break down the prejudices he faces when dating interracially in the performance, posted by ;Button Poetry on Aug. 2. ; “To the fathers of too many of the women that I’ve dated,” Harris begins, “The day I meet you, I always…
“I always see it. That surprised face. That face that says, ‘Oh shit! My daughter did not ;bring home a black guy.” ;
This is one of the first lines his Harris’s poem ‘Black Boyfriend,’ performed at the ;2015 Rustbelt Regional Poetry Slam in June. The line describes the moment of meeting the fathers of past white girlfriends ;– and the visible surprise and disappointment. ;
Harris, a Yale University student, goes on to break down the prejudices he faces when dating interracially in the performance, posted by ;Button Poetry on Aug. 2. ;
“To the fathers of too many of the women that I’ve dated,” Harris begins, “The day I meet you, I always straighten my tie. I use the biggest words I know. I break out the good shoes. So you can see them before you see past them.” ;
For Harris, no matter how respectable he tries to be, he’s still viewed as a bad influence of “just a phase.” The poem rejects this notion, arguing that outdated ideas about interracial dating must end if America can ever truly live up to the idea of being a “melting pot” of racial equality. ;
In the last line of the poem Harris tells disapproving fathers to “Wake up,” powerfully adding: ;
“If I am your worst nightmare, you need to figure out what the f**k is wrong with your dreams.” ;
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