Saturday, July 29, 2006

Not In The News Friday (NITNF) - Late Edition (TM)

NITNF will usually be a bit of trivia that I found interesting and thought you would like. It may be IR-related and it might not -- but should always be fun...or at least fascinating.

Apologies for not posting yesterday but, what can I say, it slipped my mind (the horror! the horror!). This week's topic: Loving Day!

(Hat tip to Zen for pointing me to the website)

From the Loving Day website:





What is Loving Day?

On June 12th, 1967, interracial couples became legal thanks to the Supreme Court decision entitled Loving v. Virginia. Before that date, states had the right to separate and punish interracial couples. These punishments included imprisonment of up to ten years. Violations included marriage, sex, and living together. This issue is a part of the civil rights movement that is too often forgotten. On June 12th of every year, celebrate your legal right to love a person of any race.


Their website has some very interesting links and resources and even a section to share your IR stories. I think it's great that someone thought to set aside a day to recognize and celebrate the significance of the legalization of interracial marriages and relationships. You can plan your own celebration or join in on someone else's (events listed on the website). It also has the "legal map" from 1662 to 1967, showing each state as it legalized interracial marriages. Very cool! Check it out.

Best Wishes,
Allen

1 comment:

zandperl said...

I am half Asian (Chinese) and half Caucasian (Jewish). I "pass" as white if people aren't thinking about it, so I don't usually face any prejudice. It gives me an interesting perspective on race tensions in the US though.

Good to see a blog like this out there.