:BRIGHTSTUFF:..Personal & Political Musings & Rants by a Liberal Leftist Black & Asian Teacher

As I stated some time before, I am in a happy, loving interracial relationship. Our love is not defined by the parameters of race.

June 14th was the 37th anniversary of the "Loving vs. The State of Virginia" decision which ruled in favor of interracial marriages.

Mildred & Richard Loving

Interestingly, as a woman who is 33 years old, this decision only came 4 years before my birth and 3 years before the interracial marriage of my parents.

My parents met in the early sixties. My father was an African American serviceman stationed in Korea during the Vietnam conflict.

For my daddy, the second he saw my gorgeous mother, it was love at first sight.

They met at a Christmas party. My father, a Sergeant First Class, was getting his holiday drink on(hanging out with his buddies) and then he saw my stunningly beautiful mother.

He walked around her, sort of casing out the place, trying to think of some way to speak to her. When he finally conjured up enough gumption to approach her, the best thing he could think of to say was "I'm going to marry you one day."

My mother pretty much laughed in his face and said something to the effect of, "Yeah--- riiiiiight!"

She was wrong.

After dating for some time, they went asked for permission from military officials to marry(because my mother was a foreign national).

From the top up and all the way down, army brass said no effing way. The army chaplain even told my mother that "Negro men were not like other NORMAL men (read: non-black") and discouraged my mother, telling her that she was making the mistake of her life.

My enraged father contacted his congressman back home, local politicians, whatever, for help. Nothing happened.

After years of red tape (almost 6 or seven), off and on separation, heartache, blatant racism (remind me to tell ya'll about the time my father was stripped of his stripes when he kicked the shit out of a lower ranking white officer who said that my mother was a prostitute for being with my father) they were finally permitted (PERMITTED!!!!) to marry.

They were wed October 31, 1968, a few years after the Loving vs. Virginia decision was handed down by the SCOTUS.

I can't help to think that the reason why they were finally permitted to marry had to do with the case of the Lovings Supreme Court decision.

I thank them- Mildred & Richard Loving- for the bravery and courage they showed in fighting to be recognized legally as husband and wife.

Without their perseverance, I would not be here, nor would I be permitted to love my man in the way I do.