It is amazing how in the 1940’s if a man or woman wanted to date outside their race, it was highly frowned upon. Many were disowned from their families and some of them were killed. Now there are 9 million bi-racial people living in America, according to the census in 2013. Somebody must have been dating outside their race.

Emmett Till is a prime example of how backwards the country was; and the 9 million bi-racial people show how far we have come.

In 1955, Emmett Till was a 14-year-old African American child from Chicago. He went down to Mississippi to stay with his family. Till, along with some other family members, rode into town and allegedly Till whistled at a white woman. Till was later kidnapped and brutally killed by the white woman’s husband. Till was choked, his eye was gauged out, he was shot, and thrown in a river with barbed wire around his neck.

It’s mind blowing that less than 65 years ago, one could be executed for allegedly whistling at a woman of a different race and now America houses 9 million bi-racial people. Interracial marriage is increasing and the mixing of races is rising.

We as Americans should be grateful that we have the freedom to date and approach who we want. No, we are not 100 percent out of the woods in this situation. But wow! We have come a long way.