Did anyone else grow up not really learning about Loving v. Virginia?
I realized the other day that I somehow made it through school without learning much about Loving v. Virginia. I knew the name kind of vaguely, but nobody really explained what it meant until I started dating my boyfriend, who is Black, and we got into one of those late-night history rabbit holes. I grew up in Phoenix, and the way it was taught in school was basically one tiny paragraph, which feels crazy now.
Now that we're together, I’m noticing how much history still lives in the weird little comments people make. Nothing major, just stuff like strangers asking if we’re siblings or saying our future kids will be “interesting,” which is such a dumb thing to say. We laugh it off, but Loving Day made me think maybe I should actually learn more and talk to my family about what interracial marriage looked like for them back then. Anyone else have a similar experience?
Mar 13
29
2 repliesA
Andre M.PREMIUMI had kind of the opposite experience. My mom made sure I knew about Loving v. Virginia early because she dated a white guy in the 80s and got a lot of family drama over it. We’re in Houston, so the culture is mixed enough that people don’t usually say anything to your face, but there’s still a lot under the surface. The history matters because it explains why some older relatives act weird even if they’ve “moved on.”
Also, asking your family is a really good idea. You’d be surprised what comes out once people start telling stories. My grandma told me about a couple in her neighborhood who had to leave town to get married. Stuff like that makes Loving Day feel way more personal than just a court case.
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Brittany S.BASICYep, same here. I grew up in St. Louis and we barely touched it in class too. I only really understood Loving v. Virginia after my wife and I got engaged and her dad gave me this long talk about how his parents couldn’t legally have gotten married in some states when they were young. That conversation stuck with me more than any textbook did.
Those comments from strangers are so exhausting too. We get them in grocery stores, airports, everywhere. Usually it’s not overtly hostile, just nosy and ignorant, which somehow still wears you down. I think learning the history helps because it gives you context for why some people’s reactions feel so loaded.
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