Do You Celebrate Loving Day?

I love my Husband.

If I could, I'd lock him in our house, close the blinds and keep him all to myself forever. I would never share his attention, stay by his side all hours of every day and be the only to make him smile. Okay, maybe I'd share with Alina. Only because watching him grow in his fatherhood makes me love him that much more. But, I can't keep him all to myself. His heart is too big, his work ethic too strong, his charisma too inviting. It seems that lots of other people love him, too. 

Sometimes he doesn't realize it, more times than not I do a bad job at showing him, but being married to him fulfills my identity in ways nothing in my life ever has. Through adversity {and we've had plenty}, in spite of societal pressures, and because we are different from each other, I love that man with every fiber in my body. He is my most loyal team mate. For better or worse, this guy is my main dude. So there.

It hurts my heart to think that not too long ago, the union with my beloved would have been illegal in many states throughout this country. How long ago is "not too long"? Would you be shocked if I told you in 1967 it was illegal for people of different races to marry? 1.9.6.7.

In 1958, a Virginia couple who were madly in love, decided to marry. But because she was black and he was white, they were forced to travel to Washington DC in order to legally exchange vows. Once married, the couple returned to their home in Virginia to live happily ever after. Well, it was illegal to live together too, and they were taken to jail and eventually banished from the state of Virginia. I wish I was making this stuff up.

photo credi

In 1967, after years of legal battles, Mildred and Richard Loving won their case before the United States Supreme Court, which supported their right to live together, as a married couple, in their home state of Virginia. 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."

Fast forward to today and Mr. & Mrs. Loving's legacy of brave, fierce love continues through an extraordinary organization called Loving Day. Beautifully named after the couple who stood true to their beliefs, Loving Day's mission statement is to "fight racial prejudice through education and to build multicultural community." The goals of Loving Day are:

• Create a common connection between multicultural communities, groups and individuals
• Build multicultural awareness, understanding, acceptance, and identity
• Educate the public about the history of interracial relationships in order to fight prejudice
• Establish a tradition of Loving Day celebrations as a means to achieve these

Loving Day is celebrated on or around June 12th every year, the anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriages. Check out the Loving Day Facebook Page or the find a celebration near you page on the Loving Day website to join in!

Unfortunately, there are zero cool things happening in Las Vegas in honor of this amazing day. Maybe I need to get my organizing hat on and change that for next year. If you are a Las Vegan, and interested in getting involved too, contact me at vanessa at desumama.com!

Whether you are in an interracial relationship, an interracial child, a lover of diversity or just want to learn more, I sincerely hope you visit The Loving Day website. It is filled with wonderful information.

Happy Loving Day!