Dr. Umar Johnson Questions Why Successful Black Men Date Outside Their Race, Nick Cannon Pushes Back

Dr. Umar Johnson Questions Why Successful Black Men Date Outside Their Race, Nick Cannon Pushes Back

Dr. Umar Johnson and Nick Cannon are debating interracial dating, wealth and the relationship choices of successful Black men.

During an appearance on Nick Cannon’s @counselcultureshow, Dr. Umar questioned why some successful Black men choose to date or marry outside of their race. The controversial psychologist said the topic has even come up during conversations with young Black girls, recalling them asking him,

“Dr. Umar, is there something wrong with me? Because it appears that when you all make it, y’all always abandon the community in pursuit of your spouse.”

Dr. Umar also argued that the dating and marriage choices of wealthy Black men can have an economic impact on the Black community. He said,

“When we look at the wealth differential between successful Black men and the women they choose to marry or reproduce with, it’s very obvious that there is a significant financial gain to the woman in many times, which equals a significant financial loss to the Black community.”

Nick Cannon pushed back on parts of Dr. Umar’s argument, pointing out that extremely wealthy Black men make up “a very small percentage” of the population. Cannon also offered another perspective on why some Black men may date outside their race, suggesting that there are situations where the Black man could actually benefit financially from the relationship. While discussing why a Black woman might question a successful Black man choosing a white partner, Cannon said one possible answer could simply be, “Because she got the paper.”

Dr. Umar clarified that his argument was focused on particularly successful Black men, telling Cannon, “For those of you who are at the top 1%… income bracket, y’all go out the community to marry more than men similarly placed in their community.” Cannon again challenged the point, responding, “That’s such a small percentage, though.”

What do y’all think about Dr. Umar and Nick Cannon’s debate?