Loving Day
| Loving Day | |
|---|---|
| Type | Secular, unofficial |
| Significance | Anniversary of Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia |
| Date | June 12 |
Loving Day is an annual celebration held on June 12, the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia that struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states.[1][2][3] In the United States, anti-miscegenation laws were U.S. state laws banning mixed-race marriages. The Warren Court ruled unanimously in 1967 that these state laws were unconstitutional.[4][5] Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in the court majority opinion that "the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State."[4]
Loving Day is not an official national or state holiday in the United States, despite attempts to make it so.[6][7] A writer for Time magazine in 2010 claimed that Loving Day was "the biggest multiracial celebration in the United States."[5]
According to the Pew Research Center, "In 2019, 11% of all married U.S. adults had a spouse who was a different race or ethnicity from them, up from 3% in 1967. Among newlyweds in 2019, roughly one-in-five (19%) were intermarried."[8]
History
[edit]According to a 2010 article in Time magazine:[5]
The idea for Loving Day came from one person, Ken Tanabe. In 2004, while a student at Parsons the New School for Design, Tanabe created Loving Day as part of his senior thesis. Growing up, he had never heard of the Lovings, and as a person of mixed-race heritage, he wanted that to change. He created a website to educate people about the history of mixed-race marriages and encouraged people to host their own Loving Day gatherings to create an annual tradition for the mixed-race community.
According to the official Loving Day website, the event was recognized by a resolution of the United States House of Representatives in 2007, by a proclamation of the Governor of Virginia in 2015, and by a resolution of the California State Assembly in 2017.[9] In 2024, the website listed 16 privately hosted events to mark the day, 11 in U.S. cities and towns, and five in European cities.[10]
Notable observances
[edit]Many organizations sponsor annual parties across the country. To celebrate the holiday, people are encouraged to hold parties in which the case and its modern-day legacy are discussed, in smaller settings such as living rooms, backyards, etc., as well as in larger gatherings.
United States
[edit]- The annual flagship Loving Day Celebration in New York City was featured in the BBC documentary series Our World in 2007, on the 40th anniversary of the Loving decision.[11] Coverage of the annual celebration has also been featured in Time Magazine,[12] on the Voice of America,[13] National Public Radio,[14] The Washington Post,[15] and on PBS NewsHour.[16]
- In 2010. New York Times best-selling author Heidi W. Durrow[17][18] co-organized a celebration of Loving Day in Los Angeles with Fanshen Cox DiGiovanni, during the annual Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival.[19][20]
- Several cities and municipalities have issued proclamations officially recognizing Loving Day as a holiday, including Washington, D.C., and Caroline County, Virginia,[21] where the Lovings hailed from.[22]
Other countries
[edit]Since 2013,[23] Loving Day has been celebrated with an annual symposium at De Balie theater in Amsterdam, organized by the Stichting Loving Day foundation.[24]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Tucker, Neely (June 13, 2006). "Loving Day Recalls a Time When the Union of a Man And a Woman Was Banned". The Washington Post.
- ^ Bussel, Rachel Kramer (June 6, 2006). "Love Actually: Talking with Ken Tanabe, founder of Loving Day". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on July 2, 2006.
- ^ Gandin Le, Jennifer (June 8, 2007). "Loving Day: It's Not a Hallmark Holiday". The Huffington Post.
- ^ a b "Loving v. Virginia". Oyez. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c Shay, Christopher (June 11, 2010). "Loving Day". Time. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
- ^ "Make Loving Day Official". lovingday.org. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ "'Loving Day' Personified in Presidential Race". NPR.org. June 12, 2008. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ Parker, Kim; Barrasso, Amanda (February 25, 2021). "In Vice President Kamala Harris, we can see how America has changed". Pew Research Center. Retrieved June 11, 2024.
- ^ "Our Project". Loving Day. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ "The Day - Find an Event". Loving Day. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
- ^ sgtrius (November 5, 2009). Mildred and Richard Loving Documentary Part 3/3. Retrieved June 12, 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Loving Day Honors Mixed-Marriage, Fights Prejudice". June 11, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010.
- ^ "Loving Day Marks 1967 Victory for Legal Interracial Marriage". VOA. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ Ridley, John (June 11, 2008). "Celebrating 40 Years of Loving Day". NPR. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Tucker, Neely. "Mildred Loving Followed Her Heart and Made History - washingtonpost.com". ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Remembering Mr. and Mrs. Loving. YouTube. June 9, 2010. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ Thomas, Louisa (February 26, 2010). "The Bluest Eye". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Best Sellers: Paperback Trade Fiction: Sunday, March 13th 2011". query.nytimes.com. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Mixed Roots Artist Alliance". www.mxroots.org. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Interview with author Heidi Durrow, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky". Psychology Today. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
- ^ Caroline County Official Proclamation of June 12 as Loving Day Archived October 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Emotional Gathering in Caroline County Celebrates ACLU Case Striking Down Virginia's Anti-Miscegenation Law | ACLU of Virginia". www.acluva.org. February 5, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ "Vijfeeuwenmigratie |". vijfeeuwenmigratie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ LovingDay. "Loving Day 2015". lovingday.nl. Retrieved June 12, 2015.