June 12th marks the anniversary of the US Supreme Court Decision of Loving vs Virginia. "Why do I care about Loving vs Virginia?" you may ask. Well, let me tell you. Mildred and Richard Loving met, fell in love, and got married in 1958. They were just a regular old couple, except that Mildred was Native American and African American, while Richard was white. Interracial marriage was illegal in Virginia, as it was in most states at the time. They pled guilty and avoided jail time by moving out of VA. They moved to Washington DC and decided to start legal action. The case ultimately ended in the Supreme Court in 1967. The ruling made it illegal for states to ban interracial marriages. Up until then, J and I would not have been able to be married in either our home state, or the states we we grew up in. In many states, there were laws on the books that forbade people of different races from marrying each other. Seems silly, right?
If you haven't seen the documentary on HBO, I highly recommend it. It's awesome. You can also learn more about Loving Day
here. The Lovings were true heroes. Their story offers lessons on how each of us can make a difference for generations if we continue to fight for what is right.
In honor of Loving Day, I'm going to center my posts this week on the ups and downs of a marriage between two people of different races and cultures. Most of the time, we forget that I'm white and he's Asian. It's usually a non issue. Sometimes, it offers us a real opportunity for learning. Other times, it's a unique challenge.
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| The Loving Family. Mildred, Richard, and their three children Peggy, Donald, and Sidney |
Happy Loving Day! These two were amazing! And my handsome nephews wouldn't exist if it weren't for them.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome, thanks for telling us about it, I had no idea!! Happy Loving Day!!
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting story. How soon we forget how things were so differnt. I will say the boy Richard looks a tad ornery.
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