Lucretia Carter Berry – June 11, 2021
“If it wasn’t for the Civil Rights movement, I would not have been able to be born,” our daughter said at age seven.
She understood enough about our nation’s history of race-based laws, policies, and social practices to come to this realization on her own. She stomped around the living room furiously objecting. I smiled, relieved that this connected to her, and mattered to her. While psychologists have found that kids develop a sense of fairness by ages three or four, there is a growing body of research indicating that their sense of fairness may be innate. Either way, my daughter understood how racism dictates not only the quality of life, but life PERIOD. She proclaimed, ‘That’s not fair!’
A few years later, a reporter from Norway’s largest newspaper, Aftenposten visited our home to do a feature story on our family for the 50th anniversary of Loving vs. Virginia, the1967 United States Supreme Court decision, which struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states. While Richard and Mildred Loving’s story is not commonly taught in schools, this landmark case has gained notoriety and is celebrated around the world on June 12th.
While acknowledging and celebrating Loving Day had already become a tradition for our family, having a reporter drop in on our family to capture our story for all of Norway, added an exclamation point to its world-wide significance.
Here are 5 ways to celebrate Loving Day!
- Learn the story of Richard and Mildred Loving: Documentary / Film(2016) / LovingDay.org
- Petition your local government for official recognition of Loving Day.
- Do you live in an interracial or multiethnic family or community? Acknowledge, celebrate, and share how the landmark case, Loving vs. Virginia has impacted our lives.
- Read our story (Nathan and Lucretia) and how Brownicity was birthed through our multiethnic family and community.
- Watch our interview with Brett and Anjelica Malone, an interracial couple who we’ve never met in person, but due to our nation’s racial history, we have a lot in common. What did you find significant or surprising about our conversation?
HAPPY LOVING DAY!
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