Loving Day

[CBR]

Back ,a little over a decade ago, my wife was working in a hotel across the street from my job. I would bump into her every now and again, but nothing serious. One night I was going home and stopped at her work to say hey. She asked me to drive her to pick up dinner. I took her to the local fast food drive-thru and back. She gave me a thank you peck and said good night. Later that evening we met up again and ended up talking the night away. What a beginning to a loving relationship.

Not that unusual except I am Italian/Greek and she is Jamaican, African, and Cherokee. I have white olive drab skin, and she is dark chocolate. We are a very multicultural couple. In Virginia Beach today, we are well accepted, but still turn a whole lot of heads. Virginia Beach is very tolerant of multicultural marriages due to the military influence. Forty-five years ago, though, we would have been arrested and put in jail.

That is what happened to Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving. In 1958 they were living in Caroline County, Virginia and decided to get married. It was illegal for them to do so in Virginia as Mildred was black and Richard was white. They traveled to Washington, D.C. where interracial marriage was legal. They subsequently moved back to Virginia where one night they were arrested. They were given the choice to spend one to three years in prison or move out of the state for 25 years. The couple decided to move back to Washington, D.C., but became weary of the racism and became homesick. They sent a request to the attorney general, Robert F. Kennedy, who finally heard the case. It ended up in Supreme Court and in 1967, Chief Justice Earl Warren decided that marriage is an individual right protected by the 14th amendment and cannot be dictated by individual states, making interracial marriages legal. My wife, children and I thank you for fighting.

http://www.examiner.com/x-8885-Virginia-Beach-Multiracial-Families-Examiner~y2009m6d9-National-day-of-Loving-around-the-country

I just wanted to celebrate this important day in history. My husband and I are struggling with family issues related to our interracial marriage and this day has come at an important time. The Loving Day website is a great celebration of our multiracial nation and the history of these marriages. The election of a biracial president has had an enormous impact on the arguments that my family used to "debate the merits" of our marriage; namely, the old standby, "what about the kids?" Well the kids seem to be doing just fine. I just wanted to recognize Mildred and Richard Loving and thank them for their tough fight. http://lovingday.org/