June 12, 2022
The Multiracial Activist
From the Editor:
As another Loving Day wraps up, I would like to add this caveat to what I said in 2017. I do not believe that Loving v. Virginia will be overturned by the Supreme Court anytime soon. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t bigots on the MAGA team willing to try. They’ve already tipped their hand on that one.
Today, white supremacy is resurging openly with coded encouragement by extremists like Tucker Carlson on broadcast “news” and politicians who believe they can court extremists by appealing to the worst of their fears (aka replacement delusions). On the flip side, we also have to worry about the soft bigotry of alleged allies, like say, a random DEI consultant who is totes magots ‘not bigoted’, but just has “concerns’ about interracial relationships.
(sigh)
After founding The Multiracial Activist in 1997, I did what I could to further the work that Mildred Loving started before I was born. When I took on Bob Jones University’s ban on interracial relationships in 1998, the hate from fundies was instant, thick and a little scary. After a few years, I won the media war and the University finally crumbled on it’s racist stance after a few false starts. Alabama and South Carolina’s cowardly legislatures finally fixed their own laws and accepted the reality of Loving v. Virginia. I remember leaving voicemails on the personal numbers of those legislators in South Carolina who were holdouts still fighting against progress. Cowards. Anyway.
Back in the day, I received death threats, hate mail, denial of service attacks on my websites, and so on. I’m seeing the same type of behavior again, directed at those doing the work now. The online properties may have changed from blogs to social media, but the playbook is exactly the same – deny, deny, deny, gaslight and then threaten. Then, repeat.
I still have hope for the future, but it has been dented a bit lately. Keep vigilant folks. Sooo many people fought for your right to love freely. Don’t let them take it away again without the fight of their lives. Make it hurt if they come for it. Even if that means damaging the feelings of an alleged ally who has “concerns” but is totally “not a bigot”.
James Landrith
Founder and Publisher
The Multiracial Activist
and The Abolitionist Examiner