JW's and interracial marriage?

by c.dawn 32 Replies latest social relationships

  • tonyend
    tonyend

    I'm a black man married to a white woman and had no problems with that in my predominantly black congregation. However, in my first congregation, before I was married, I was one of 4 blacks in an ~80 person hall in an afluent area. Once, at the meeting for service, the elder didn't want me to work with another black brother who had studied with me and paired me with a white older sister because it was a rich area and he felt it wouldn't be good (he actually said that). I was new at the time (1989 or 1990) so didn't think too much of it but the other brother was pissed. Also, I got counseled because of my short hair. They also counseled my cousin several times about his short hair when he came to visit me from out of town. The funny thing is that the elders in my cousin's hall (a mostly black hall) thought his haircut was a good example for other young ones. So, the upshot is that although there is no practiced racism, I think that there are congregations in more afluent areas that, because they aren't exposed to other races much, feel threatened when they get people who don't conform to the "WASP" mentality. Since I've left that congregation, there's now more chocholate in the milk so it's better. ;-)

  • Corvin
    Corvin

    A former Bethelite I use to work with, Leo, was about marry his dark carribian fiance, was told by the GB that it was huge mistake and that it would not work out. They told him that because she was black, it would be highly unadvisable to marry her. He and his wife ended up leaving Bethel to take an assignment in a foriegn country as missionaries, then ended up as an elder in a Tijuana congregation in Baja. He was very clear and direct when talking about the racism that goes on in the organization from the top-down. He was also bitter.

    Corvin

  • dh
    dh

    i've never seen any real racial prejudice among jw's, the c/o of my parents 'circuit/congregation' is black, and i know other black jw elders, and a number of mix race jw couples, mostly white guy/black woman.

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