Happy Loving Day!

Happy Loving Day!

In the land of social networking, there is an observance for almost everything: Siblings Day, Daughters Day, Sons Day, Best Friends Day, etc. Today, I was made aware of another: Loving Day.

According to LovingDay.org, the Loving Day name comes from Loving v. Virginia, the landmark Supreme Court decision that declared all laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional in the United States. Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving from Caroline County, Virginia fell in love and decided to get married. Because Jeter was Black and Loving was White, the couple went to Washington, DC where interracial marriage was legal. They then returned to Virginia to begin their life together, but they were soon arrested because Virginia law forbade interracial couples from getting married elsewhere and returning to the state.

Amid numerous hardships, Mildred sent a letter to Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General of the United States. The letter was forwarded to the ACLU, which helped the couple find an attorney. Two attorneys worked on the case pro bono. The case eventually landed in the United States Supreme Court, which decided unanimously in the Lovings' favor. This June 12, 1967 ruling granted the freedom of interracial love to every couple in every state in America.

Various celebrations are held across the country in honor of this ruling, even as the biracial population continues to increase. Oddly enough, even after this ruling, some states still had laws against interracial marriage. The last state to remove such law was.... You guess it! Alabama! And this took place just a few years ago, relatively:  in 2000.

Today, my brother and sister-in-law (who are both black) celebrate their wedding anniversary. Right after I wished them a Happy Anniversary, I learned of Loving Day.  I found that kinda cute.