In this, the final regularly scheduled episode in the series, we take a look back at favorite moments from those interviews, and look at common themes among the stories.

We’ve heard stories about reactions from family members and from the community; ways that couples in interracial relationships have learned to think about race in America differently, and how they’ve learned to navigate the world together in new ways; and some of the new traditions that are formed when individuals with very different backgrounds come together to form a family.

We want to thank all the couples that have shared their stories over the past year, and we hope that you’ll continue having conversations about these topics in your own lives.

-Brad & Farrah

They eventually got married shortly after the war ended in 2000, although it took another 5 years before they were able to move to the US together. They now live in Philadelphia with their two sons.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Jen and Ermias discuss the experience of coming together during a turbulent time, learning to deal with racism in America, and why they recently moved their family to Ethiopia for a year.

Both longtime civil right activists, Jean and Mas met while they were both working for the American Friends Service Committee in Philadelphia.

They have two adult children and three grandchildren.

In this episode of the Loving Project, Jean and Mas talk about how their different backgrounds affect the way they communicate and how they’ve learned to navigate the world together.

For a couple of years they flew back and forth between New York and Dublin to spend time together. The turning point in their relationship was September 11; as he watched the Twin Towers fall, Ken realized he didn’t want to be thousands of miles away from Mee. Soon thereafter, the couple began the emigration process and Ken moved to New York. They now reside in the suburbs of Philadelphia

In this episode of the Loving Project, Ken and Mee discuss the immigration process, the similarities and differences between Korean and Irish culture, and raising biracial children to appreciate both of their parents’ cultures.

Joshu is white and Marleny is black and was born in the Dominican Republic. She grew up speaking Spanish the fact that Joshu is a fluent speaker helped him quickly and easily integrate into her immigrant family. In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Joshu and Marleny talk about how their relationship has helped them better understand everyday racial dynamics and their experiences in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election.

Although Belinda was initially reluctant, they eventually began dating and then got married in 1985. The couple has 3 children; the two oldest are from a previous relationship of David’s and the youngest is Belinda’s biological daughter, whom David adopted.

In this episode of the Loving Project, David and Belinda discuss the ways in which their relationship has broadened their understanding, what they’ve learned about cultural differences, and how their unique personalities and backgrounds come together to create a balanced relationship.

In this episode of the Loving Project, Lisa and Kevin discuss their unique family, the incorrect assumptions people make about them and their children, and the complexities of racial and cultural identity that can come with trans-racial adoption.

Len is white and grew up in Vermont; Fernando is Cuban-Chinese and grew up in Florida. They live in Philadelphia with their adopted daughter, who is African-American.

In this episode of the Loving Project podcast, Len and Fernando discuss what its like to be part of a multiracial, multicultural family; how their differences enrich their lives and relationships; and why it was important to them to get involved in the fight for marriage equality.

In this episode of the Loving Project, Jen and Shawn discuss raising a biracial child and how people respond to their multi-colored, interracial family.

They’ve been together since 1999, and married in 2014 after same-sex marriage was legalized in Pennsylvania.

In this episode of the Loving Project, they discuss growing up in multiracial families, differences between racism (and food) in the North and South, and navigating life as a multiracial same-sex couple.

They eventually returned to Philadelphia, where they raised their son while running an alternative bookshop on Philadelphia’s bohemian South Street. In this episode of the Loving Project podcast Steve and Christine share what it was like to be in an interracial relationship at such a pivotal and tumultuous time in the history of American race relations and reflect on the how far society has (or hasn’t) progressed since then.

Lesley grew up in North Carolina while Cord was raised in New Jersey and Philadelphia. They got married in 2009 and live in Philadelphia with their three year-old daughter. In this episode of the Loving Project, Cord and Lesley discuss the impact of the 2016 election, the intersection of African-American and Southern culture, and their intentional approach to parenting a biracial child

You can also read the essay Lesley wrote for WHYY here.

Eric is black, and grew up in a black neighborhood in Baltimore. David is white and grew up in a small town in Oregon; the couple met in Philadelphia.

In this episode of the Loving Project, Eric and David talk about faith, falling in love, and coming to terms with the role race plays in their relationship with each other, with the world, and with the child they hope to raise together one day.

Mike is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, who grew up in an agricultural area of Maryland, while Kim hails from Southern New Jersey. In this episode of the Loving Project, they discuss food, culture, stereotypes, and the serendipitous circumstances that brought them together.

Instead of telling one couple’s story, in this episode we hear from eight different couples about their thoughts on the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision. The following couples are included in the episode:

• Aarati & Jonathan
• Christine & Craig
• Courtney & Dave
• Craig & Donna
• Eric & David
• Florence & Ed
• Lesley & Cord
• Michelle & Melissa

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.