Loving Day
Author: Ashley Woodfolk
Publication Date: 29 October 2009
Louisiana Injustice
Two weeks ago, a justice of the peace in New Orleans refused to issue a marriage license to a local couple. He refused because the man and woman in question were not of the same race. Three days prior to their wedding ceremony, Beth Humphrey and Terrence McKay contacted a local parish about their marriage license. Keith Bardwell, the justice of the peace at that parish, routinely inquires about the racial background of every couple who calls about marriage licensing. When he spoke with Humphrey and McKay, and discovered their racial differences, he informed them that he did not issue marriage licenses to interracial couples. “I’m not a racist,” Bardwell told the Associated Press shortly after the incident. “I have piles and piles of black friends. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way.”
When American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) attorney Katie Schwartzmann heard about Bardwell’s actions, she was very surprised by his blatant disregard for the law. “He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it, and it is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009,” she said. “The government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry,” the lawyer told the AP, citing the 1967 Supreme Court case that made interracial marriage legal. This monumental ruling was made in the case of Loving vs. Virginia.
Loving vs. Virginia
Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving grew up together in Caroline County, Virginia and fell in love as young adults. Knowing they would be prosecuted or even incarcerated if they attempted to marry in Virginia, the couple drove north to Washington, DC and said their vows. Unfortunately, the state of Virginia still recognized their union as illegal, so that when they returned to their home state, the Lovings were tried and sentenced to three years in prison. The judge offered to drop their sentence if they agreed to leave Virginia for 25 years. So the Lovings decided to leave home and move to Washington, DC.
Still outraged by the injustices they’d experienced, Mrs. Loving wrote a letter to the Attorney General pleading her case. Her letter was forwarded to the ACLU of New York and two lawyers there took an interest in the Lovings’ case. For nine years, their appeal was denied at every level of the justice system. It eventually reached the Supreme Court, where the Court ruled unanimously in their favor.
On June 12th, 1967, Chief Justice Earl Warren stated, “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.” From this point on, “loving” someone would no longer be hindered by skin color.
Loving Day
Loving vs. Virginia, and the growing number of interracial relationships in this country inspired the creation of a nonprofit that celebrates interracial love and works to build multicultural communities. Thirty-three years after interracial marriage became legal in all 50 states, Loving Day was born.
Every year, on or around June 12th, people all over the United States attend Loving Day celebrations. Founded by Ken Tanabe and run by a core group of volunteers, Loving Day events seek to fight prejudices by promoting acceptance and understanding, and by celebrating interracial and multicultural families. While the biggest event is held annually in New York City, the founders of the organization encourage people all over the United States to organize their own celebrations, and the number of events and attendees continues to grow every year.
As a woman currently in an interracial relationship, I was appalled and angry when I heard about the incident in Louisiana. But shortly thereafter, I was introduced to the amazing movement that is Loving Day. Though Justice Keith Bardwell’s actions reminded us all that prejudices and racism are still alive and well in America, organizations like Loving Day show us just how far we’ve come.
To learn more about Loving Day, please visit their website at http://www.lovingday.org
