I wanted my bloggers choice to highlight another success story of an interracial couple that faced many hardships during the first years of their relationships. Alvin and Omelia Garner met and married during the hist0ric battle over interracial marriage laws. They were among the first to marry in 1968 after the ban on interracial marriage was lifted due to the courage of the Lovings in Virginia. Alvin and Omelia were the first interracial couple in Orange county to ever be issued a marriage liscence, making their story extremely important. Aside from the legal battles Omelia and Alvin faced, they faced many of the same issues that interracial couples of today face. Alvin's family wanted nothing to do with Omelia because she was black andvirtually no one in the societies of their day accepted their relationship. Although, their obstacles were plentiful and not easy, the Garners pushed through it all knowing they wanted to spend their lives together. In June of this year, Omelia and Alvin had their 40th wedding anniversary where they proudly renewed their vows.
The reason I chose this couple to highlight this week is because they are living proof that true love and committment can withstand all troubles. They are a message to couples of all kind whether they be same sex, interracial, or a mix of ages that if you truly want to be with each other and the relationship is healthy.. GO FOR IT!! Life is too short for anyone to live or base decisions about their lives based on the ideals of the current trends in our nation. The best and most important things in life are worth fighting for. Omelia and Alvin fought to be together, and forty years later, it is still worth the fight to them. To read more about Omelia and Alvin and their ceremony or to read a newspaper article published about them in the 60's check out: http://thestory.org/archive/the_story_543_Interracial_Marriage.mp3/view
4 comments:
I completely agree with what you are saying, I say life is too short to care what others think so if it is important to you then go for it. It is amazing to see how far interracial coupling and marriages have come over the years. This couple is an amazing one and I'm sure withstood so many hardships that people can't even imagine but like you said it was worth it. I love stories like this because it gives people a little more hope to believe and know if you want something to happen or change you can make it change.
In the 1970's, I went head over heals for a woman that was being treated very badly by her boyfriend. When I had the chance, I told her how crazy I was about her. Soon after, we were a couple for over two years.
I grew up in NYC and she in Baltimore. She was the most awesome woman that I had ever met and we enjoyed a wonderful relationship.
We met in the South and I do not have to persuade you that, while we had no issues what so ever, others did.
I had some very minor issues coming from people of color, but I was blasted with racial bigotry from my own kind. Within two weeks of dating, I was ready to do some hurting. But Valerie held my face in her hands, and said that making me angry is what they wanted, and by being angry, I will make mistakes. She told me to let them say what they want, that it is of no consequence, and that we are above all that silliness.
We were in the military. It came time for us to transfer to other stations. She went back to Baltimore and I moved on to another State. I kept in touch with her for over 5 years, even after getting married.
She still has a piece of my heart.
For us, it was just love and a gift of being in sync with almost everything. Color had nothing to do with it, and had no play in how our relationship developed. It simply was a relationship between a man and woman that were made for each other. It was that simple.
What the heck would we have done if our relationship was illegal? I think you know the answer. :)
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