Loving v. Virginia in a Post-Racial World: Rethinking Race, Sex, and Marriage

by Kevin Noble Maillard (Editor), Rose Cuison Villazor (Editor)

In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional in Loving vs. Virginia. Although this case promotes marital freedom and racial equality, there are still significant legal and social barriers to the free formation of intimate relationships. Marriage continues to be the sole measure of commitment, mixed relationships continue to be rare, and same-sex marriage is only legal in 6 out of 50 states. Most discussion of Loving celebrates the symbolic dismantling of marital discrimination. This book, however, takes a more critical approach to ask how Loving has influenced the “loving” of America. How far have we come since then, and what effect did the case have on individual lives?

288 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2012

About the author

Kevin Maillard is Professor of Law at Syracuse University, a contributor to the New York Times and a co-founder of Black Stream Partners LLC. He has written for The Atlantic and has provided on-air commentary to ABC News and MSNBC. He is the debut author of Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story, a picture book illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, which won the Sibert Medal and the American Indian Youth Literature Honor. An enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, he is based in Manhattan, NY.

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is beautifully written and holds the facts around the softness of the Lovings' relationship with the harshness of their reality. I think this book should be read by everyone-Their story is the truth for many relationships. It shows how far we have come and how far we have to go.