THE LOVING PROJECT

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Episode 7: Craig and Donna Mar 27, 2017

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Donna and Craig

Donna and Craig have been married since 1988. Craig is White and grew up in Queens, New York. Donna is Black and was born in the United States, but lived in Belgium for about 10 years before returning to New York, where she and Craig first met.

The couple lived in New Jersey for a while before settling down in the suburbs of Philadelphia, where they raised two children who are now in their 20’s.

In this episode, Craig and Donna discuss some of the realities of interracial dating in the ’80s, the experience of raising biracial children in a mostly White community, and the couple’s decision to become involved in racial justice activism in recent years.

Episode 6: Beth and Helaina Mar 13, 2017

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Beth and Helaina at their wedding in 2007

Beth and Helaina are an interracial couple living in Philadelphia’s Mount Airy neighborhood. They got married in a wedding ceremony in Philadelphia in 2007, before gay marriage became legal nationwide. They later had a legal ceremony in California while Helaina was carrying their first child. The couple now has four children, all biracial.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Beth and Helaina talk about the process of selecting donors that would help them have children that reflect the family’s racial diversity. They also share with us how they discuss race with their children and what its like to walk through the world as both an interracial and a same-sex couple.

Episode 5: Shaina and Brahim Feb 27, 2017

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Shaina and Brahim with their son

Shaina is a white Jewish woman from Texas. Brahim is a black, Muslim, Berber, Arab man from Morocco.

They met while Shaina was volunteering for an organization Brahim started in a small village in Morocco. It was clear to them both very early in their relationship that they wanted to be together long term so after Shaina returned to the United States, they began the immigration process. They were married two years later, in 2009.

They now live in West Philadelphia with their two-year old son, who they are raising to understand the fullness and diversity of his ancestry. Both are committed to social justice and active in their community.

Episode 4: Courtney and Dave Feb 13, 2017

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Dave and Courtney with their son

Dave and Courtney met while working together at a photography company in Philadelphia. They married in 2010 and now live in West Philadelphia with their 18-month old son.

Courtney is African American and Dave is White. While the experience of being part of an interracial couple plays out differently for each of them, they are both equally anxious about what it means to raise a biracial boy against the backdrop of the struggles being highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement.

Episode 3: Arun and Carrie Jan 30, 2017

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Carrie, Arun, and their children

Arun and Carrie got married in 2001; Arun is Indian and Carrie is white. Both grew up in Northeast Ohio, and they now live in Philadelphia with their two children.

Arun grew up in a close-knit Indian community where arranged marriages were the norm; theirs was the first interracial marriage to be openly accepted in that community.

The couple talks about the long road it took to get there and the changes in attitudes within that community over the past 15 years.

Episode 2: Olivia and John Jan 16, 2017

Show notes

Olivia and John at their wedding

Olivia and John got married in 2015 and live in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Olivia is Filipino-American, and came to the US as an immigrant at age 7. John is white and grew up in Pittsburgh.

Although both their families have been welcoming and supportive of Olivia and John’s marriage and they haven’t encountered any overtly negative reactions to them as a couple, they are cautious about the prospect of raising biracial children and have striven to craft a community where their offspring will feel safe and accepted.

Episode 1: Liz and Chavis Dec 29, 2016

Show notes

Liz and Chavis with their son.

Chavis and Liz have been married since 2003. They have a 12 year-old son, and the family lives just outside of Philadelphia.

Liz is white and Chavis is African-American. However, his skin coloring and hair texture often lead others to classify him as White or as some race/ethnicity other than African-American, giving Chavis an unusual insight into race relations in modern America.

For this first episode of the Loving Project Podcast, Liz and Chavis invited us into their home to talk about race, love, and what it’s like to live in a family filled with diversity.

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