"Loving Day" Observed

"Loving Day" isn't an annual observance of human love, but a day of remembrance of a Supreme Court decision made 41 years ago today. On June 12, 1967. the Supreme Court ruled to overturn laws that banned interracial marriage in 16 states -- Loving v. Virginia. It's hard to believe that it's only been 41 years since the Court ruled on such a matter. The case involved Richard and Mildred Loving, both of Virginia at the time, who were married contrary to state law. They were married in Washington, DC, but after returning home, they faced a state that refused to recognize their marriage. They faced banishment from the state or imprisonment.

How much difference does 41 years make? Well, we are the edge of perhaps electing a man as president whose father was Black and mother was White. Their very union was illegal in a number of states at the time he was born (obviously not in Hawaii).

But there are still barriers to marriage. Tomorrow, California will begin issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples (at least until a possible amendment to the state constitution is decided). When the State Supreme Court struck down a law limiting marriage to a man and a woman it looked back to an earlier law that forbid interracial marriage -- a law struck down by an earlier court.

As we observe Loving Day, let us consider how far we've come, and how far we've yet to go.