Dating black females

Dating is hard.

A viral TikTok of white, female college graduates showcasing their engagement rings while waiting to receive their degrees sparked a conversation online about the pressure on young women at southern colleges and universities to get engaged before graduation. The phenomenon has many names, but is perhaps most commonly trademarked as "ring by spring" or obtaining an "MRS degree. Our goal is to secure a career, and in turn, secure our families," said Anjerrika Bean, the assistant director of Howard University's Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership. That doesn't mean we aren't interested in it, but it isn't the reason we are choosing to further our education at said institution. Whether dating to marry or focusing on dating at all is a priority for Black women in college, uncontrollable factors like systematic racism, preference, and stigma in a society influenced by western beauty standards play into the experience of singlehood amongst Black female college students.

REGISTER TO VIEW

The Buzz has now moved to a new website. Check it out here for advice on dating, friendship, wellness, and more: bumble-buzz. A few years ago, three college friends and I decided to take a road trip from Dallas to New Orleans. Somewhere between badly belting Leon Bridges and gushing over the southern sky, we ended up spending hours talking about love, opening up to each other about our desires and insecurities.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Similarly to my peers, I wanted to date Black men. It makes sense when Black women are the least likely to marry outside of their race. But Black women almost always outnumber Black men at universities. In a study by the National Center for Education Statistics , about a third of Black men were enrolled in college, but Black women beat them out with a 41 percent enrollment rate. College campuses come with stereotypes like partying and nepo babies , but in the world of dating what comes up most in conversation is hookup culture.

REGISTER TO VIEW

Why aren't college-educated Black women meeting their match?

In December, in my half-lit bedroom, I watched the series finale of Insecure on my laptop. There was Molly in her designer wedding dress, husband on her arm. Were we being elitist? Molly and I tried dating men who made less money than we did. Did we need to be more open-minded?

REGISTER TO VIEW

REGISTER TO VIEW