Loving Day

The Case for Loving

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

Today, June 12th, is Loving Day. 

“Loving Day is the anniversary of a historic court decision for interracial marriage. Every year on June 12th, it’s a global day of visibility, education, and community.” (Taken from lovingday.org)

I’ve written about Loving Day before, because of its direct impact on my family — my African American husband and our mixed-race son. (You can click here to read a post I wrote in 2020.)  

And I continue to write about Loving Day because it’s so very important to remember that the rights and laws we currently have weren’t always our rights and laws. And, as we’ve seen, laws can be changed; revoked even. So I don’t take Loving Day for granted. 

This year, I wanted to highlight a wonderful children’s book — The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage by Selina Alko, illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko. (Fun fact — the author and illustrator are themselves an interracial couple.)

The charming book tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving — how they fell in love, how they married (in Washington, D.C.), how they were arrested for living together in Virginia (where interracial marriage was not legal), how they wanted to leave their home in Washington, D.C. and legally live in Virginia with their three children, and how their court case made it all the way to the United States Supreme Court. 

And, what it all boiled down to was expressed in this brief, heartfelt message from Richard Loving which was read to the Supreme Court justices: “Tell the Court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.” 

On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of the Lovings and interracial marriage. 

1967. 

Only 57 years ago.

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.

In Loving Celebration

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

 

Friday, June 12th is Loving Day. The name comes from Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court decision which “declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional in the United States.”

1967. That was only 53 years ago. 

(By the way, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out the 2016, Oscar-nominated film Loving.  The movie is based on the real life story of Richard and Mildred Loving whose own interracial marriage and legal battles ultimately made it possible for my husband and I to marry.)

My husband and I married in 1999. We were lucky; race wasn’t an issue for us. My parents were entirely accepting of my husband-to-be; I think because they had dealt with their own difficulties prior to marrying. When they married, in 1975, their different religious backgrounds weren’t readily accepted by their parents. (45 years later, they remain happily married.)

But even though it was 1999, and we were on the verge of a new millennium, I had the hardest time finding a wedding cake topper featuring a mixed-race couple. My mom and I visited shop after shop with no luck. Salespeople couldn’t make any suggestions about where we might locate such a cake topper. And don’t forget – this was in 1999. The internet was not what it is now. 

I’ve always been disappointed that I had to settle for the closest thing I could find — a cake topper that featured a white woman with blond hair (I’m brunette) and a dark-skinned groom.

Hopefully, other brides no longer have that issue. 

And hopefully, times are changing.

I think about the famous African-American individuals we learn about in school. The familiar names – Rosa Parks, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, just to list a few. I think about the names that Hollywood has taught us – for example, Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson (from Hidden Figures) and Mr. and Mrs. Loving.

Why aren’t those names taught? 

And what other names remain unknown to most of us?

 

Loving Day, Every Day

Posted on by Wendy Kennar

A few years ago, I wrote a personal essay for MomsLA about Loving Day.  You can read it by clicking here.

A few days ago, my husband and I finally watched the 2016, Oscar-nominated film Loving.  The movie is based on the real life story of Richard and Mildred Loving whose own interracial marriage and legal battles ultimately made it possible for my husband and I to marry.

And on this day, Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking of Mr. and Mrs. Loving with gratitude.