Meet Malini, Karl, and their daughter.
"On June 12th, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled to disband all anti-miscegenation laws, thereby legalizing mixed race marriages. Loving vs. Virginia was a landmark decision that struck down laws banning interracial marriage as violations of the Equal Protections and Due Process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendement to the US Constitution.
This decision is remembered annually on June 12th as 'Loving Day.' The case was later cited as precedent in the U.S. Federal Court decisions holding restrictions on same-sex marriage as unconstitutional.
It's one of my favorite days of the year.
But 1967 wasn't that long ago. And there is still work to be done. My husband and I have been told that our marriage is 'disgusting.' We've been told that 'God hates mixed marriages.' We've been told our marriage is sure to fail. My husband has been asked why an educated white man would want to father a colored child.
And yet, while we've faced ignorance and casual racism, we have never once endured systematic racism, dehumanization and oppression in the way that black people have.
'Sometimes I wonder if love is worth fighting for. Then I look at you, and I'm ready for war.'
Or as my husband says 'love is the only thing worth fighting for.'"
The portraits of Malini, Karl, and their daughter and their words are part of my project to show how Columbus is responding to and working through the national protests in support of Black Lives Matter and larger conversion we are having about race in America.
In addition to creating the portraits for the project, I have asked participants to “donate what you can” for each portrait sitting. Donations will benefit the Equal Justice Initiative, a national organization directed by Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy.
(If you’re interested in donating directly to the organization, you can donate here.)
As of this post, the project has donated $1,115 to EJI.
Thank you, Malini, Karl, and everyone who has joined the project. To join my project, please send me a private message or email at contact@aarontaylorphoto.com. I want to tell your story next.
To read more about the project and to see a list of all the sessions, please click this link.