You may recall that, last October, a Louisiana judge said that he wasn’t racist, but he won’t marry different-race couples. In response, Suzy Richardson wanted to show this man how wrong he was. She encouraged mixed-race families to send in pictures showing how happy they are. That effort turned into the group Mixed and Happy.
First, the group’s main entry point was a Facebook page. Now, Mixed and Happy has over 6,000 Facebook fans. The group’s web site includes forums and groups. There has been a great deal of interest in having face-to-face regional meeting groups, so that’s the next feature in the works.
Mixed and Happy is a wonderful example of good things coming from bad. I was reminded of this when I saw this alert on my Facebook news feed:
Class president? Must be white to apply at this Mississippi school!
Yes, you read that right. You can read the blog post about the woman (Brandy) who alerted us all, and you can read the MSNBC article about the aftermath. Because Brandy alerted Mixed and Happy and the NAACP, the issue came to the attention of thousands of people and the media. Consequently, the Mississippi school district announced that race and ethnicity would no longer be a part of school elections. (If you want to read something really maddening, take a look at The Smoking Gun’s article.)
I can’t believe dividing elections (for student government and the homecoming court) was (is?) still going on in this country. It’s 2010 people!
So, this Louisiana judge (who is no longer a judge) would not marry a mixed-race couple. In response, one woman decides to show this judge how happy mixed race families can be. This effort became a group of like-minded people committed to supporting diversity. These people were able to change policy.
It’s nice when the world works.
Photo Credit: MixedandHappy.com
