It's the Big Day

Well...tomorrow is the big day and we are headed to the ship, but it is an even bigger day for Matt and I and many other interracial marriages and relationships. Tomorrow is Loving Day which is the anniversary of the Loving vs. Virginia case that legalized interracial marriages in 1967.

Who are the Lovings?

Loving v. Virginia was an important Supreme Court case, but it was also the story of a real couple. Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving grew up in Caroline County, Virginia. They fell in love and decided to get married. Unfortunately, getting married was not as simple in 1958 as it was today. Mildred was black and Richard was white. There were laws that forbade people of different races to marry each other. This was true in many states, including Mildred and Richard's home state of Virginia. However, interracial marriage was legal in Washington, DC at that time. Therefore, they decided to drive to DC, get married, and return to Virginia to begin their life together.

This proved to be a short term solution. The law in Virginia not only forbade interracial marriage ceremonies, but it also forbade interracial couples from getting married elsewhere and returning to Virginia. One night, while they were asleep, the newly-married Lovings were awakened by the police in their bedroom. The Lovings were taken to jail for the crime of being married.

Their case went through many levels of the justice system and their appeal was denied every time. Eventually their case appeared before the United States Supreme Court. The Court decided unanimously in their favor. Finally, after nine years of struggle, the Loving won the right to live together as husband and wife in their home state. In the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, "Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides within the individual and cannot be infringed on by the State."

To get the full story and to learn more about Loving Day check out:

http://www.lovingday.org/

Check out the interracial legal map. It will show when each state legalized interracial marriages: http://www.lovingday.org/legal-map

To all interracial marriages and relationships, interfaith families, multiracial people and those who hope for, pray for and desire a more justice world we ask that you join us in wishing Social Justice a Happy Birthday and blowing out the candles of bigotry, hatred, inequality!

For those wondering...yes, those are our feet as we relaxed during our honeymoon in Belize! Married almost 2 years and loving it...eat that interracial relationship haters!!