MLK day has never seemed so personal to me. Yes, it has always been a day history, speeches, and tributes by atheletes as I watched the game, but it never really sunk in. As I sat on our couch this MLK day, putting my fingers through my wife’s dark curly hair, I was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude. The work of this man as well as hundreds of others, paived the way for my wife and I to live in a nation that does not persecute interracial marriage. Other than a few people staring here and there, we have not had to endure the hatred that men and women in interracial relationships have in the past. My curiousity grew about this subject, so I looked into some historical facts to see just how far we have come as a nation. Are we truly tollerant of the ultimate desegregation? A white man, married to a black woman?
The Facts:
In the early 1900′s, racist postcards dipicted peoples views of Interracial marriage.
Not Particular
I know you’re not particular to a fault
Though I’m not sure you’ll never be sued for assault
You’re so fond of women that even a wench
Attracts your gross fancy despite her strong stench
Interracial relationships banned at a University until 2000
For decades, Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina used biblical references in attempt to justify its position and threatened students with expulsion for breaking this rule. It was only in 2000 when their interracial dating prohibition was repealed when President Bob Jones III publicly announced its nullification on Larry King Live.
I would love to know what scripture he used to back that up when the bible clearly says:
The Bible does not even use the word race in reference to people,8 but does describe all human beings as being of ‘one blood’ (Acts 17:26).
The number of interracial marriages in the United States, although varying by region, has been on the rise:
- In 1970, there were 310,000 documented cases, representing .7% of all marriages
- In 1980, there were 651,000, representing 1.3% of all marriages
- In 1992, there were 1,161,000, representing 2.2% of all marriages
For Americans, Black-white marriages tend to be the most controversial.
In a 2003 Ford poll of 1,314 Americans of varied races, 3 in 10 reported they were against black-white marriage, but were more willing to accept white-Hispanic or white-Asian marriages. Marriage between Whites and Asians, and particularly light-skinned North East Asians, is considered the least controversial.
But it is getting better, acceptance is on the rise.
2001 New York Times study (summarized in the Pulitzer Prize winning series) published in the book “How Race is Lived in America” found that approval ratings have steadily increased over the years.
2001 – approve 65%(whites 63%, blacks 79%) disapprove 26% (whites 29%, blacks 15%) 1991 – approve 48%, disapprove 42% 1972 – approve 29%, disapprove 60% 1978 – approve 36%, disapprove 54%
It really suprised me that almost 1/3 of people still have an issue with a white/black couple. However, by looking at the trends, I believe this issue will almost be obsolete for our children. We owe so much to Dr. King and the civil rights movement. Personally, I get to live with the fruits of his labor, everyday.
August 4th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Jason,
Thanks for getting personal. I, too, never thought anything personal of MLK Day. At least until we started attending Sanctuary Covenant Church where a much higher than average percentage of the population are in a mixed relationship (mixed doesn’t even seem like an appropriate word) and whites tend to be slightly in the minority. Things like MLK Day tend to become a little more personal when you have relationships with others who they’re personal for (hmmm, I think Jesus may have lived that out, too, didn’t he?).