Zanab’s Experience on “Love Is Blind” Is a Typical Interracial Dating Experience

The dating pool already has pee, feces and toxic waste in it. Being a woman of color attracted to men outside of her race and trying to date is like navigating that but with flesh eating organisms. One hard truth that you learn is that you could be one of the most gorgeous women this earth has seen, yet white beauty standards have been so drilled into people that the most basic of white girls will be held on a pedastal. The sooner you learn this truth- that it’s not you- it’s THEM, the better.

Zanab explained at the altar that Cole’s behavior made her doubt herself, and eviscerated her self-esteem. It’s unsurprising that white women are calling her “overreacting”- when this comes from a lifetime of dealing with microagressions in white spaces. Every woman of color who has ever dated outside her race- or even men within her race (looking at Shek from season 2) has had to endure men comparing them to white girls with only whiteness to offer. It was odd to me how many woman of color expressed sympathy for Cole- especially those who would never date a white man to begin with. And while Zanab didn’t have the most self-awareness or glowing personality, she deserved better than to be constantly told that she was anything less than beautiful.