WASHINGTON DC – The NAACP called for Louisiana Justice of the Peace Keith Bardwell to resign his post after denying an interracial couple a marriage license.
In 1963 the US Supreme Court ended prohibition of marriage due to race in the case of Loving vs. Virginia. Justice Bardwell is in violation of Louisiana’s Judicial Code of Conduct which states “A judge shall perform judicial duties without bias or prejudice.”
“Mr. Barwell needs to respect Ms.Humphrey’s and Mr. McKay’s humanity, apologize to them and the people of Louisiana, stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “The NAACP stands with our Tangiaphoa Branch’s call for Justice Bardwell to resign Judge Barwell is clearly in violation of our nation’s laws and moral ethos”,” said Jealous.
Keith Bardwell, a Justice of the Peace for the Tangipahoa Parish 8th Ward, cited “concern” for their children, and claimed that “most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society.”
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
Source: naacp.org
