Teen raises money for college after parents disown her for dating black student

A teen who said her parents cut her off financially for dating a black student is getting support from strangers across the country through a crowd funding page set up to help her pay for college.

Allie Dowdle, an 18-year-old high school senior, created the GoFundMe page Wednesday in response to her parents' punishment.

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In the post, she said she attends a private school in Memphis and is dating a black teenager.

Dowdle said she told her parents about the relationship some time ago and they cut her off financially.

On the page, she recalls the moment she showed her dad her boyfriend’s picture:

“About a year ago, I told my parents that I'd started dating a boy named Michael, pictured with me above. Hoping to share him with my family, I showed my parents his picture, and the conversation was over before it even began.My dad did not give me an option:  he told me that I was not allowed to see Michael ever again. Why? Strictly because of skin color.  It wasn't a quiet 'no,' either. I'll never forget the yelling my parents did, when they expressed how disappointed they were in me, that I could do so much better.  I did not know what to do. I couldn't comprehend how someone could be seen as less because of pigment. I still can't comprehend it, and I never will be able to.”

Allie has already exceeded her goal of $10,000 on the crowd-funding website, raising more than $30,000 as of Sunday.

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