BY J. LAJUANA MILLER Black Men Talking About Love F or centuries women have asked
MEET THE GENTLEMEN:
the question – What are men thinking? Among themselves, women responded to that age-old question with answers that ranged from the hilarious to the ridiculous. Radiantly Black decided to go after more definitive answers by going to the source–Men! We gathered six local Black men, representing various ages and backgrounds, to probe their feelings about love. To our delight, these greater Orlando men shared more than 2½ hours talking openly with us about their past, present, and future relationships. Prepare yourself to be amused, possibly saddened, but truly educated by their answers.
JEREMIAH, 22 college student, a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
TYKEEM, 23 a teacher
CALEB, 25 an aerospace engineer, a member of Phi Beta Sigma
LEWIS, 63 a retired postal manager, member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity
EARL, 78 a doctor
OCTAVIUS, 47 an African Methodist Episcopal pastor
To protect the privacy of each participant, the answers to the questions are provided in random order, not in the same sequence as the men were introduced.
THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF OUR GROUP INCLUDES THE FOLLOWINGS: ■ Ages 22 to 78 ■ Residents of Lake Mary, Longwood, Sanford, Ocoee, and Orlando ■ Three are married, three
Gentlemen, tell us about your first crush. » M y third-grade teacher. She was fly! » My first girlfriend was in high school - sophomore year. Other girls were leaning toward me, and she didn’t. So, I was interested in her. » Second grade - I really liked a girl until I found out she was my biological cousin. » My first crush, that I can recall, was in middle school. I was in the seventh grade. I was just getting comfortable with my sexuality. I had a crush on a person who was in two classes with me. I didn’t act on it. » In my ninth grade - I just walked up to her and said, “I’m going to marry you some day.” And she said, “Pure bunk.” I said that to her every year of high school. Then we both went off to college, and the relationship never really materialized. As I was finishing my second year of graduate school, she called me out of the blue one day. She was interested in me at that point, but by then it was too late; I had met my wife.
single and two are from Caribbean Island cultures
■ One is openly gay ■ Three are members of fraternities
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
RADIANTLY BLACK
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VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 1
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