Thanks for naming them. It let me find this description.
In August 1970, Berta Linson and Roger Mills made history as the first legally married interracial couple in Mississippi. Their union was a landmark challenge to the state’s long-standing ban on interracial marriage, occurring three years after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision had already invalidated such laws nationwide.
Berta Linson, a 24-year-old Black student at Jackson State College, and Roger Mills, a 24-year-old white law clerk for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Although the 1967 Supreme Court ruling applied to all states, Mississippi had refused to comply, leaving its 19th-century anti-miscegenation law on the books.
When the couple applied for a marriage license on July 21, 1970, they were denied by the Hinds County circuit clerk. They immediately filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the state’s refusal. On July 31, 1970, U.S. District Judge Harold Cox, a judge known for his segregationist views, was forced by the Supreme Court’s precedent to order the state to issue the license.
They were married on August 2, 1970, at the Central United Methodist Church in Jackson. The event was attended by approximately 200 guests, including some who were reportedly armed for protection due to the high risk of violence. The wedding received significant media attention, which the couple found taxing; Berta later expressed that she “hated every minute” of the intense publicity.
The marriage was a landmark moment for civil rights in the South, effectively ending the practical enforcement of Mississippi’s ban on interracial unions. The couple eventually moved to Washington, D.C., where Roger finished law school at George Washington University, a move Berta reportedly looked forward to as a reprieve from the tension in Mississippi.
They were married for approximately 18 years before eventually divorcing. They had two daughters; one of them, Demetria Mills, continued the family’s legacy of activism by fighting for marriage equality in the LGBTQ+ community.
On July 31, 1970, U.S. District Judge Harold Cox, a judge known for his segregationist views, was forced by the Supreme Court’s precedent to order the state to issue the license.
Delicious.
Suck on that Cox.
I saw this in my inbox and was like… What?!?
Bit better with context :D
That passage particularly stuck out to me as well, but it also made me ponder.
There are people who have been monstrously angry about stuff like this for their entire lives. They presumably see it as only right and proper that Donny stacks courts and gets rubber stamped approval for nearly all of his whims. I think his hate is enticing if you believe that he’ll destroy things you want destroyed.
A lot of people voted for the racism, and that’s sad. I’m starting to think this country kinda isn’t great again at all, and maybe never was.
I’m not from there but have been several times, including the best summer of my life. I think you’re right that a lot of people are fuelled by that destructive urge given what we’re seeing over the last while but the vast, vast majority of Americans I’ve come across were decent people.
I am from there, and I know a lot of great people. But county voting patterns clearly demonstrate vast differences in opinions, and they’re not evenly distributed.
I don’t mean to suggest that a majority of the population is overtly racist and that’s the only factor in our current predicament. I just think it’s larger than a lot of people expect.
Where have you visited?
Yeah I’d agree with all of that.
Been to California (San Diego, LA and SF), Nevada (Vegas really but I did go through death valley which was cool), New York, DC and Virginia so far so definitely more left leaning areas.
According to the article you posted, it was great on July 31, 1970.
Definitely a cup half full view.
pessimistic view
Another way to look at it is that we slowed down the orphan crushing machine that day.
she’s not a Judge, but reminds me of Kim Davis’ situation
I had to refresh my memory on her but it’s just as delicious…
she was ultimately jailed for contempt of court and was ordered to pay $360,000 to the same-sex couple who she refused to marry.
They were married for approximately 18 years before eventually divorcing.
That makes me sad…I was hoping they’d be 90 and still married today.
The funny thing is that people are just people, in the end. Even those that do extraordinary things. I’m sad that everybody is tearing down Cesar Chavez memorials at this particular moment in history. He was also just a human with his own shitty rough edges, but he deserves to be remembered for both good and bad.
For real, rather than being sad that they eventually divorced, be happy that the work that they put into getting to the point where they could end up divorced in the first place, opened the door for probably tens of thousands of other lifelong happy relationships that might never have made it to the point of marriage without the work they did.
This is still within the living memories of a significant part of the human race.
And… How did things go?
Divorce after 18y, two kids one who helped with other marriage equality (lgbtq+).
Word from the future is their grand child is helping with robot marriage equality.
