THE LOVING PROJECT

Florence and Ed met in the 1960’s in Nashville while they were in college – Ed at Vanderbilt and Florence at Fisk University. They began dating after getting to know each other as co-facilitators for the Upward Bound program and got married in 1968, just over a year after the Loving v. Virginia decision. They have two adult sons and a granddaughter.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Florence and Ed share what it was like to date as an interracial couple in Tennessee in the 1960’s, how they handled objections from family members, and their concerns about having biracial children at a time when they had no models of multiracial families to look to. They also reflect on the 50th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the court decision that enabled them to marry in Florence’s home state of North Carolina and made marriages like theirs legal nationwide.

Florence and Ed met in the 1960's in Nashville while they were in college - Ed at Vanderbilt and Florence at Fisk University.

They began dating after getting to know each other as co-facilitators for the Upward Bound program and got married in 1968, just over a year after the Loving v. Virginia decision. When they got engaged, they had no idea that interracial marriage was illegal in Florence's home state of North Carolina where they planned to get married.

You can get the latest updates about the podcast by following The Loving Project on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter or by visiting our website, LovingProject.com.

Michelle and Melissa met in college and were together for 12 years before getting married in 2017. Although they are both Philadelphia natives, they hail from very different parts of the city.

Melissa, who is white, grew up in Bridesburg, a neighborhood with a reputation for racism, while Michelle, who is Black, hails from Mount Airy, an area well known for diversity and inclusion. The reactions of their families to their relationship mirrors those of their communities – Michelle’s family welcomed Melissa with open arms but Melissa’s relationships with some extended family members are strained due to their attitudes towards Michelle.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Melissa and Michelle discuss how the current political climate impacted their decision to get married and what its like to navigate the world as both an interracial and a same-sex couple.

Michelle and Melissa met in college and were together for 12 years before getting married in 2017. Although they are both Philadelphia natives, they hail from very different parts of the city.

Melissa, who is white, grew up in Bridesburg, a neighborhood with a reputation for racism, while Michelle, who is Black, hails from Mount Airy, an area well known for diversity and inclusion. The reactions of their families to their relationship mirrors those of their communities - Michelle's family welcomed Melissa with open arms but Melissa's relationships with some extended family members are strained due to their attitudes towards Michelle.

You can get the latest updates about the podcast by following The Loving Project on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter or by visiting our website, LovingProject.com.

Lori and Manuel have been married since 1999. Manuel is white and grew up in Spain. Lori is black and grew up in Wisconsin. They met at university in Spain, where Lori was studying abroad; eventually Manuel joined her in the United States where they lived first in New York and then in Philadelphia.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Lori and Manuel talk about what it’s like to raise biracial, bilingual children who are equally at home both in the US and in Spain. They also share their own experiences coming to terms with being part of an interracial marriage.

As one of a tiny number of Black students in her Wisconsin high school Lori dreamed of going to Spain, a place where she believe she would feel less “different”. Once there, Lori realized that in Spain she stood out just as much as she did in her home country.

However, in Manuel she found someone who had no preconceptions about her and was genuinely open to and interested in people from different cultures. Although he had seen racial discrimination – primarily directed at gypsies – while he was growing up, when he moved to the USA, Manuel was surprised to learn firsthand about some of the racism that Black Americans faced on a daily basis.

The family now lives in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy neighborhood with their three children.  Lori is an author who has written about colorism and her experience becoming part of a multiracial family.

Lori and Manuel have been married since 1999. Manuel is white and grew up in Spain. Lori is black and grew up in Wisconsin. They met at university in Spain, where Lori was studying abroad; eventually Manuel joined her in the United States where they lived first in New York and then in Philadelphia.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Lori and Manuel talk about what it's like to raise biracial, bilingual children who are equally at home both in the US and in Spain. They also share their own experiences coming to terms with being part of an interracial marriage.

You can get the latest updates about the podcast by following The Loving Project on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter or by visiting our website, LovingProjec

Aarati and Jonathan got married in 2006. Jonathan is White and Jewish and Aarati is Indian-American. They met in Chicago, where Aarati was pursuing her PhD and Jonathan was working as a journalist. They later moved to Washington DC, and then Philadelphia.

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Jonathan was unfamiliar with the daily realities of racism in the United States before he met and married Aarati and became the parent to two biracial children. Whereas Aarati, who was born in India and grew up in mixed race communities in Delaware describes herself as a “race straddler”. Currently, they both work in the arena of racial and social justice.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, they discuss the joys of sharing both their cultures with their children and of watching them develop their own racial identities.

The Loving Project commemorates the 50th anniversary of Loving v. Virginia by featuring modern stories of interracial marriage.

Aarati and Jonathan got married in 2006. Jonathan is White and Jewish and Aarati is Indian-American. They met in Chicago, where Aarati was pursuing her PhD and Jonathan was working as a journalist. They later moved to Washington DC, and then Philadelphia.

Born and raised in New Hampshire, Jonathan was unfamiliar with the daily realities of racism in the United States before he met and married Aarati and became the parent to two biracial children. Whereas Aarati, who was born in India and grew up in mixed race communities in Delaware describes herself as a "race straddler". Currently, they both work in the arena of racial and social justice.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, they discuss the joys of sharing both their cultures with their children and of watching them develop their own racial identities.

You can get the latest updates about the podcast by following The Loving Project on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter or by visiting our website, LovingProject.

Anastasia and Symeon met online while they were working at the same university. They got married in 2011 and live in Philadelphia with their two young sons.

In the episode, they discuss the things they have in common, such as a love of travel, close relationships with their families, and a history of being “the kid with the weird name”. They also reflect on the ways their backgrounds sometimes lead them to view the world differently, how they find common ground, and what it’s like to raise biracial children in a racialized world.

Anastasia and Symeon met online while they were working at that same university. They married in 2011 and live in Philadelphia with their two young sons. Symeon grew up in rural New York state, while Anastasia grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In the episode, they discuss the things they have in common, such as a love of travel, close relationships with their families, and a history of being "the kid with the weird name". They also reflect on the ways their backgrounds sometimes lead them to view the world differently, how they find common ground, and what it's like to raise biracial children in a racialized world.

You can get the latest updates about the podcast by following The Loving Project on Facebook, Google+ or Twitter or by visiting our website, LovingProject.