TPC-DIGEST-Vol3Issue3

TPC D igest 36 T he purpose of this article is to explore some of the issues young Black college women face when seeking long-term intimate relationships with Black men during their college years. For many women, the college years afford them ample opportunities to fraternize with equally ambitioned, similarly situated men from the same cultural and racial background. This is not always the case for young Black women in college. Because of sociopolitical realities, which have resulted in disproportionate representation of Black men versus Black women in college, young Black college women are left to grapple with a host of challenges related to developing meaningful love relationships with Black men. Some of these issues include the quest for a male partner with equal educational status, threats of sexually related health risks, conflicts with interracial dating, and questions concerning dating significantly younger or older men. It is important to recognize that the dating dilemmas some young Black college women face not only threaten their ability to engage in meaningful love relationships but also have the potential to negatively impact their identity development. Because researchers exploring women’s development have placed the importance of interpersonal relationships at the center of identity formation, it is essential to explore the effects of dating dilemmas and decisions on the self-identity of young Black college women. This perspective acknowledges that concerns and choices regarding intimate relationships with men are among the elements young Black college women integrate into their evolving The Black Gender Gap: A Commentary on Intimacy and Identity Issues of Black College Women – DIGEST Wilma J. Henry, NCC. is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida. Correspondence can be addressed to Wilma J. Henry, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., EDU 105, Tampa, FL 33620, whenry@usf.edu. Wilma J. Henry