Yesterday, my cousin, great aunts, and grandma stopped by the house for a while. In a crude semi circle of mismatched chairs, they chatted and laughed about whatever came to mind—family, church, shopping. Their conversations bounced around, split, and joined at breakneck speeds. One person. Two people. Four people talking all at once. Heads thrown back, bodies doubled over in laughter.
I’m always a bit surprised when Aunt Louise says something like, “We didn’t dare go on that side of the town back then.” or “We lived in the red line.”
For a moment, I am breathless. I close my eyes and picture my great aunt as a young girl. Where can she go? Is she in danger? What is her world like?
The conversation snaps to another place, another time. I’m brought back to now. 2015.
It’s hard to imagine that only 48 years ago interracial marriage wasn’t legal in all of the states.
On this day, in 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that Mildred (a black woman) and Richard Loving (a white man), and by extension any woman and any man, regardless of race, could legally be married. Today, 48 years ago, love won.
I hope that today people remember this monumental landmark in our history and take the time to be thankful for the progress that’s been made. We still have so far to go, but at least we are not where we were.
If you haven’t seen the National Geographic article about the future of race in America that goes with this picture, you need to check it out. These multiracial people are beautiful because interracial marriages are beautiful. Thank you, Mildred and Richard Loving for your fight.
I’m not in an interracial relationship, but I have a ton of interracial friendships and partnerships, and they are some of the most enriching relationships in my life. What does race reconciliation look like in your life? How are you celebrating Loving Day?
~Charnell
A // W // F
13 Jun 2015Thank you for sharing this. It truly is beautiful, & also, so important. <3
charnellpeters
14 Jun 2015Thank you AWF! It is so important! I’m so thankful for them and all the people who went before us!
Retirement Lifestyle / Nomadic Adventurer
20 Jun 2015This is a wonderful powerful posting highlighting an important moment in American History. I lived in Northern VA for twenty-eight years and I new of the circumstances of this important period time as I drove through the county hundreds of time where the lovings lived.
I lived in Northern VA in a interracial marriage and the father of an interracial child. I’m so proud of the ruling and progress that has been made. My children enjoyed an incredible multicultural experience living in a diverse area, that most of people never get to experience.
Again, this is a powerful posting I will reblog.
charnellpeters
21 Jun 2015What a great story! It’s amazing to be in a physical place where these moments in history happened. Thanks for dropping by, and thanks for the reblog!
Retirement Lifestyle / Nomadic Adventurer
20 Jun 2015Reblogged this on An Aspiring Writer and commented:
This is a wonderful powerful posting highlighting an important moment in American History.
Priceless Joy
20 Jun 2015We have come a long way and it is wonderful!!
charnellpeters
21 Jun 2015Priceless Joy, it is wonderful! Thanks for dropping by! 🙂
Priceless Joy
21 Jun 2015My pleasure!
Charli Mills
25 Jun 2015What a beautiful, powerful post!
charnellpeters
25 Jun 2015Thanks Charli! And thanks for dropping by! Also…is your name pronounced with an “sh” sound in the beginning like mine? 🙂