Louisiana: Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License By Justice of The Peace

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by Lamar Tyler | on October 16th, 2009 | 21 comments

louisiana

by Lamar Tyler

You’ll never guess what’s going on down in LA. Let me preface this whole deal by saying this happened this month of this year. I don’t want you thinking this was an old civil rights story from the sixties. On October 6th a Justice of The Peace in a Louisiana Parrish told a couple that he would not marry them because they were an interracial couple, and his reasoning…. of course he’s doing it for the kids. Check this out from AP:

A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have. Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

“I’m not a racist. I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way,” Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. “I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else.”

I don’t care what old Mr. Bardwell says, buddy you’re a racist. Now as stated above he has black friends that often come over and use his bathroom but that alone does not mean you’re not a racist.

This story is just so amazing, we all know racism exists but every now and then it doesn’t even hide. The big R will just smack you in the face like, POW. The couple did end up getting married by someone else and are about to file a lawsuit.

BMWK family, is this some of the most ridiculous news you’ve seen in a while?Should a public official be able to tell you that they won’t marry you under any terms? Tell us what you think.

About the author

Lamar and Ronnie Tyler are the creators of the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com . They also are behind the Amazon.com bestselling DVDs Happily Ever After: A Positive Image of Black Marriage, You Saved Me and Men Ain’t Boys that explores manhood in the African American community. The Tylers are also the proud parents of four children.

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Comments (21)

Harriet Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

I read about this last night and couldn't believe my eyes! I LIVE in Louisiana, and yes, there are some old school Jim Crow-isms taking place covertly around here. But for someone to be dumb enough to take that foolishness from the underground and have it dance Thriller style on the civil rights of a couple...that's just sickening. You know what's even more nauseating? The fact that this is not the first time this has happened down there (based on the news report). The couple is just the first one to stand up for themselves. Don't trip...northern and southern Louisiana are like night and day (Hammond is down south). But for folks to just decide to go to another judge and let this man persist in his blatant disregard for the laws he swore to uphold is crazy.
Lee Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

WOW! Are you serious?? That should be against the law! Yea, that man is a racist no matter what he says! Concerned for their kids??? Yea rite!
Staycee2 Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

WOW!!! He should have married them for the kids sake alone!!!!!! I commend the parents for taking the necessary steps to file a lawsuit, this guy must be stopped!
Harriet Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

No, the couple doesn't even have any children yet. He was saying that he thought their future children would suffer because they wouldn't fit in with the black or white communities, and he didn't want to see a child suffer like that. On some ol' bullcorn.
Tammy C. Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

I'm from Louisiana and this is very sad. No matter how the judge slices the cake, he still is racist. It's amazing what people will say in front of the cameras/to the media. Definitely, what's on the inside of you will eventually come out...
Aja Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

Whoever belongs to his supposed "pile of Black friends" should be ashamed for associating with this person. Furthermore, how does what he feels about the races mixing have anything to do with what is legal?
Black prejudice Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

I am black and I guess I'm prejudice because I don't believe in interracial relationships. Black men and women should stick to their own race. White women should stick to their white men amd white men should do the same.
galena swoope Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

did this dude really say they use my bathroom what kind of statement is that
Biracial and Proud Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

I am from a interracial marriage and have been BLESSED w/ both of my parents in the same household... I fit in both worlds, The man is a RACIST, God did not label our hearts to see color of the skin ,nor did he state that we stick to our own kind..U never know who you are going to fall in love with.We are in 2009 and there are more marriages today of interracial, and they do last.... For the idiot who won't marry the couple ask yourself ? your Black associates have they ever been invited for dinner ?
Ronnie Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

I don't agree with that J.O.P. or with Black Prejudice. But they are entitled to their own views. However, I do have a problem with that J.O.P. denying that couple the marriage license. He should be fired.
Anna Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

What this J O P did is wrong. He has a oath to uphold and personal opinions are not warranted. It's like a doctor refusing medical care to a poor person. Your job duties are to be your first concern. The J O P did not want to marry this couple because he said that 99% of interracial marriages end in divorce. In my parents case it was death. My husband was the type of man to never date outside his race. As one of the comments mentioned "you can't help who you fall in love with". Yes I am biracial but others around me of any color just see me as "Anna". Being born a biracial child in the 60's we were raised knowing we were both black and white. All my siblings gravitated towards our black culture/heritage, you could tell by our skin color we were white. Back then the one (black) drop rule reigned supreme. This is 2009 as many mentioned. A J O P can't pick and choose who to marry unless they are fighting physically or verbally durning the ceremony. LOL.
LaTip Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

There is no justification for what this Judge (if I can call him a Judge) has done. He should be sued and removed from the bench! Furthermore, being concerned for the children? Bull crap! I work with an agency where all races have issues and it is not specific to whether an individual is multi-racial. Problems arise because we are human being not because of race! This is absolutely pathetic!
Anna Friday - 16 / 10 / 2009 Reply

Ok, call me naieve.(I am so naieve I don't even think I spelled it right). LOL. Why do ppl leave a comment but it's only a copy and paste of the post/title? Is it only to link their website? If so I find it tacky(for lack of a better word). I have always told my kids that you have to earn your keep, in other words if you eat at someones house help clear the table and help with the dishes. The more polite thing for one to do is leave a comment when browsing someones site and we might click on yours. Is it a full moon? I am not a mean person but I inherited a new pet peeve. LOL. Ppl who only click on sites to pass off their own websites. I did find BMWK from another website but it was on their "roll blog" list.
Anne Marie Saturday - 17 / 10 / 2009 Reply

The guy is a racist, no doubt about it. But then again, it is a good lesson to all those black guys who don't appreciate women of their own race. The minute they get an education or some money, they rush for white, Asian or hispanic girls. It is a great shame since many black men claim they don't want their daughters to marry white guys. Why the double standards? Most African American men treat their women savagely, leaving them with so many fatherless kids. They should be ashamed of themselves. Many black women are unhappy becuase their own men have rejected them. The guys are junkies, jailbirds and save abusers. And those who are light skinned or mixed race are worse. They feel "white". They should borrow a tip from President Obama, and marry good solid beautiful black women. This obsession with women from other races is a shameful embarrassment. It exposes the black men's pathetic insecurities and desperation to be associated with white people, even as they pretend not to like them!
ROCK Saturday - 17 / 10 / 2009 Reply

IF A BLACK (JOP) HAD DONE THIS THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM, NOW TELL ME WHO IS RACIST?
Harriet Sunday - 18 / 10 / 2009 Reply

Rock, Wrong is wrong, no matter what color you wrap it up in. I believe there still would have been a problem, only the black JOP's reasoning probably would have been different. Would it have been blown up in the media like this case? I doubt it...more than likely it would just be a blip on the radar screen. But that doesn't speak to a racial bias within the black community...it speaks to one within the media.
ROCK Monday - 19 / 10 / 2009 Reply

it is no difference than a preacher saying that he won't marry people for varying reasons. if someone has convictions or believes about something being wrong then they shouldn't do it. he didn't say they couldn't get married, he just said that he wouldn't marry them.
Dee Monday - 19 / 10 / 2009 Reply

@ Anna Marie – Wow, what you wrote could have very well been written by William Bedford Forrest, who founded the KKK. The sentiment is almost exactly the same. Your generalizations about black men treating there women savagely is shameful. Your generalization that black men are junkies and jailbirds, could have come straight out of the KKK handbook, or a 70’s blackspoitation movie. Your assumptions of how light skinned black people feel is simply ignorant! Your views indicate a level of racial intolerance that is even greater than the Justice of the Peace in this article. You are intolerant of according to your comment: Black men with education Black men with money Light skinned black people White people of course Oh and any Black Man who does not marry a dark skinned female! You are certainly entitled to your view. But my view is that, your views and the obvious hate that you have is more damaging to African Americans than anything this JOP could have said or done.
Anna Monday - 19 / 10 / 2009 Reply

Anne Marie said: The guy is a racist, no doubt about it. But then again, it is a good lesson to all those black guys who don’t appreciate women of their own race. The minute they get an education or some money, they rush for white, Asian or hispanic girls. It is a great shame since many black men claim they don’t want their daughters to marry white guys. Why the double standards? Most African American men treat their women savagely, leaving them with so many fatherless kids. They should be ashamed of themselves. Many black women are unhappy becuase their own men have rejected them. The guys are junkies, jailbirds and save abusers. And those who are light skinned or mixed race are worse. They feel “white”. They should borrow a tip from President Obama, and marry good solid beautiful black women. This obsession with women from other races is a shameful embarrassment. It exposes the black men’s pathetic insecurities and desperation to be associated with white people, even as they pretend not to like them! ~~~~~~~~~~ My black husband married me with 3 kids, my children's black father is with a black woman. Not all black men are junkies, jailbirds or abusers. I guess we really do get what we attract. I have white skin and my mom was white and my dad is black. I don't feel anymore white than I do black, it's others that have to lable you being you and the ppl I know call me Anna. I find more critizim with me being mixed more so from the black ppl than I do whites. There are many black ppl with light skin who have two black looking parents. Sometimes a grand parent or a great grandparents genes show their presence in a new generation. My white looking brother married a woman 15+ years ago and she does look like Michelle Obama. She is educated, smart, funny and has a great job, just as my brother does. She is not just the color of Our First Lady but looks like her. I am too old to hang around anybody, that is so racist that they show their true colors. Most racist ppl are nothing more than those who find a way to discrimminate against others for not being them. Isn't that self hatred at it's best? You can enlighten me. I don't judge one by thier color but their lack of knowledge. Ignorant and racist ppl to me come in all colors themselves.
Harriet Tuesday - 20 / 10 / 2009 Reply

Rock, There is a difference. A clergyman deals with spiritual matters, and it's his or her prerogative to determine whether or not a couple is spiritually prepared for the beauty and challenges that marriage provides. It's their responsibility to marry people by the power vested in them from God, not the state. A JOP, on the other hand, is supposed to use the law of the state he or she works for in order to marry people. His "opinion" was contrary to the laws set aside by the state of Louisiana. Whether I agree or disagree with him is not the issue. I give him props for standing on what he believes in, no matter how fallacious it may be. But when what he believes in is the direct antithesis of the laws governing the state he works for, it's time for him to look for another place of employment.
The Bunny Tuesday - 20 / 10 / 2009 Reply

@ ROCK, Yes a preacher can refuse to perform a ceremony for various reasons. The difference is that this man refused to grant them a marriage LICENSE, a legal document reflecting the law that he took an oath to uphold. Whatever his personal views, he broke the law - that's the issue.