50 Years After Their Love Was Torn Apart by Racism, They’re Finally Married

Howard Andrew Foster and Myra Clark met in high school, but he was of African descent and she was Caucasian. In 1967, race relations were taboo, testing the love between the two. Love, after all, is the driving force of life. It is not something that can be fought, despite numerous love stories with tragic endings and countless hearts broken by others. True love will win, nor does it transcend time and space.

They went on to date for two years, during which time Howard faced daily racism. When he realized that their relationship was doomed, there was no time to protect them, so he decided to end things. The torture continued while I was growing up and studying at the Columbus Technical Institute. He was the only black student there and experienced many instances of racism.

“Society didn’t want us to be together and she wasn’t happy, but she was tired of being stared at and I thought it was unfair on her. Her happiness was the most important thing to me.”

Tears were in their eyes when they parted, Myra explains, and as they said goodbye, they walked in different directions, each spinning when their eyes met. I think a wave means seeing you again.

Howard remembers crying in his car – it wasn’t an easy decision, but he loved Myra. And he will never forget how she imagined their life if they stayed together. Myra remembers the problems they faced in society.

About five decades later, in 2013, a mutual friend reconnected the two.

Myra met a nurse when she worked at Mount Carmel Hospital, whose daughter was married to Howard’s son. Howard and Myra eventually got in touch and decided to meet on Sharon Woods Metro Park over Labor Day weekend 2013.

They felt they would never stop loving each other. Their love sparkled in their eyes as they sat at a picnic table holding hands.

It’s a dream you never thought would come true. “For me, the fact that I’m sitting here holding her hand, I thought that would never happen. I couldn’t let her go” claim Howard.

The lovebirds tied the know on August 1, 2015, and claim they still enjoy being together. They say they have no regrets about how things worked out.

Interracial couples face numerous challenges. While people from traditional families often face disapproval, mixed-race couples also struggle with societal judgments and statements with racist overtones. Stereotypes still exist, and many are aware that their differences run deeper than they expected. Some people are racist and discriminatory, and some become tyrants of various kinds.

Since the legalization of interracial marriages in 1967, after the Supreme Court case ‘Loving vs. Virginia, ’ there has been a five-fold increase in these marriages.

If you are in an interracial relationship try to be open-minded and ready to resist challenges when you love your partner. Learn more about the culture of your partners and be prepared to make cultural adjustments and compromises. We are all in this together and nothing can change that.

Remember that what people say about you is a reflection of who they are, not who you are. Don’t let stereotyping or changing your behavior cloud your judgment. Love transcends skin color. If you don’t remember to respect, never insult.