On June 12th 1967 in Loving vs. Virginia the laws against interracial marriage were finally repealed. It is hard to believe that it is only 43 years since that time. “Americans born in the 21st century will shake their heads in disbelief on learning that 40 states once had laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The Supreme Court struck down the last of these statutes in the 1967 case of Mildred and Richard Loving, a black woman and a white man who were arrested and banished from Virginia for the crime of being married.” (New York Times May 14, 2008)

While we accept it as a freedom and a given right that men and women of all races and creeds can marry, this was not always the case. The case is not only about intermarriage, but also, about how this country defined people in terms of “race”. For not only did the Virginia statute in question prohibit the intermarriage of “whites” with “coloreds” and American Indians, it also assigned multiracial people to one or the other of these groups, depending upon the degree and type of mixture.

I think it is good to remind ourselves of the history of racism in this country and to celebrate its passing. The interracial couples that have come to PARC have not come in because of conflicts about race, but rather because of concerns about emotional and physical intimacy as well as difficulties in communicating. Like other PARC couples, they tend to be highly educated and successful professional men and women.

Dianne Kaminsky

Got thoughts or opinions on this topic? A helpful anecdote you want to share? Feel free to leave a comment below.

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