Happy Loving Day -- 41st Birthday of Legalization of Interracial Marriage

Below is a message from the Loving Day organization, headed by my fellow Hapa friend, Ken Tanabe.

Forty one years ago today, Richard and Mildred Loving walked out of the Supreme Court in Washington, DC. After nine years of struggle, they won the right to be together as an interracial couple. They also won that right for interracial couples nationwide, ending about 400 years of racist laws that existed in 35 states. So today, we celebrate our legal right to marriage and relationships without regard to race.

This year is particularly significant because Mrs. Loving tragically passed away. While we are saddened by this, we can also be inspired by her historic achievement. Mrs. Loving was a regular person from a small town who made a big difference. We can all make a difference as well. Let's teach our children, friends, and relatives about the Loving decision. Let's fight the prejudice that still exists for people in interracial, international, and intercultural relationships. Let's join together as a community of many races, cultures, and nationalities to celebrate Loving Day.

Click here see Loving Day Celebrations happening nationwide! Take a look at our list of celebrations to see if there's one near you:

It's fun and easy to host your own Loving Day Celebration with our free Celebration Kit in PDF format.
Click here to download.

If you host a Celebration, be sure to share it with us! Take photos or videos and post them online through Flickr or YouTube:

All the best to you and yours, and Happy Loving Day!