Why is it that successful black men--black men who are "at the top of their game" in the arts, entertainment, politics and athletics--are four times as apt to be married to or dating a woman who is not an African American than they were only thirty years ago? And why are twice as many black men involved in interracial relationships as black women? In addition to their celebrity status, which includes widespread popularity and wealth, black men from Charles Barkley to James Earl Jones to Russell Simmons to Bryant Gumbel share something else in common; something that also characterizes the...

According to the most recent U.S. census, twice as many black men are involved in interracial relationships as black women. Do black women consciously resist such involvement? What motivates the relatively few women who are in these types of relationships? And how do they navigate the unfamiliar terrain in intimacy?

One of the most popular explanations for black women's involvement in interracial intimacy is the unavailability of eligible black men. This explanation focuses on the dismal statistics popularly discussed in reports that forecast lonely futures for African American...