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Loving Day is a national holiday celebrated on June 12, commemorating the historic supreme court decision to legalize interracial marriage. Before June 12, 1967, interracial marriage was illegal and punishable by prison for one to five years. Mildred Jeter, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, fought not only for their love, but also for the civil rights of all Americans to love whom they choose regardless of race.
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Only 21 years after this historic decision, my parents were able to have a “mixed race” marriage, and start a family. Loving Day matters to me because I am a child of interracial marriage, and am currently in an interracial marriage. My children are blessed to be multiracial and multicultural, however, I would be remiss not to mention that only 57 years ago, this was illegal.
How can you honor and celebrate Loving Day this year in DFW? Are you wanting to celebrate your own interracial relationship and family? Keep reading, and I will share some ideas!
Celebrate Loving Day at a Multicultural Center
Dallas has a rich history of celebrating various cultures. Latino Cultural Center, South Dallas Cultural Center, Oak Cliff Cultural Center, Bath House Cultural Center, African American Museum, and Old City Park are all wonderful cultural places in Dallas. Go on a date, take your kids to learn about the past, or explore these gems on your own! To learn more about cultural events in Dallas, contact or visit the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs on Elm Street.
Attend a Multicultural Event in Dallas
In interracial relationships and families, it is important to find ways not only to learn about culture, but also to find your community and ways to connect. Going to community celebrations is a great way to honor Loving Day throughout the year.
This summer, attend the Diocesan Multicultural Celebration: Unity in Diversity happening in Garland on June 8, 2024. And on July 7, 2024, there is a Kufiya Comedy Festival happening in Dallas. To learn about all the upcoming cultural events in Dallas, visit the Office of Arts and Culture calendar.
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Have a Movie Night with Loved Ones
Watch the movie Loving or other movies on interracial couples. My two favorites are Save the Last Dance and “West Side Story. Here are some other classics: The Bodyguard, Pocahontas, Romeo Must Die, A Madea Christmas, and Love Actually.
For younger couples you might enjoy watching: The Hate U Give and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.
For children, you can read a book and explore the feelings and themes. I highly recommend I Am Whole: A Multi-Racial Children’s Book Celebrating Diversity, Language, Race and Culture and Mixed Girl.
Contribute to the Loving Day Cause
The Loving Day community project fights racism and supports interracial couples and families through education, visibility, and building community.
While Loving Day is officially recognized by many local governments across the country as well as The U.S. House of Representatives, the City of Dallas is not one of the cities that officially recognizes the day. The cause of the Loving Day community hopes to get all cities across the country to honor this historic day. One day soon, I do believe Dallas will be one of those cities!
Start Your Own Loving Day Tradition
Loving Day is a holiday for everyone. However, it can be especially meaningful for interracial couples, multiracial and multicultural families, as well as for individuals who identify as mixed race or transracial. People across America honor and celebrate the historic day in various ways. I encourage you to spend time thinking about how you want to honor the special day and the determination and sacrifice of civil rights activists like Mildred and Richard who fought for our right to marry who we love.
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On June 12, use the hashtag #lovingday when sharing stories, posts, and pictures on your social media. This year I am honoring Loving Day by contacting the City of Dallas to get Loving Day officially recognized. I also plan to talk to my kids about their cultural history, read books, and make a Loving Day craft. Loving Day can be whatever you want it to be, share with Dallas Moms what you decide to do that day!
Loving Day is a holiday to celebrate love for all. The resilience and sacrifice of the Lovings was the torch of light in a very dark night for mixed race and interracial couples. Their work ignited the way to freedom to live their true, authentic lives. Even though we have still have more work to do, we can continue their legacy by celebrating Loving Day this year!
