Interracial couple's wholesome love story has found a special place on the internet

This interracial couple got married 10 years after interracial marriage became legal in 1967. They have become a viral sensation on TikTok. As per TODAY.com, the couple started posting on TikTok to connect with their children and grandchildren during the pandemic. Their videos include old printed photos from their wedding, vacations, major events in their life and so on. 

The couple's page has become a beacon of love and hope for people. They also entertain several questions like "Was interracial marriage legal when they got married," and what has been the influence of being from a different race on their lives and family dynamics after so many years of being married.

Jeralyn and Mike Wirtz were born in 1951 and grew up in California. The couple wasn't aware but they lived only a few miles away from each other. The duo met at an apartment complex in 1976 and they started dating. Within a year, they got married and soon welcomed two kids, Nicole and Ryan.

Speaking to the outlet, the couple shared how their love blossomed. “I had seen Jeri, and I knew that she was a girl that I could be interested in,” Mike Wirtz tells the source. “He was pretty attractive and very mature,” Jeralyn Wirtz adds. The couple agreed that neither thought about their race when they met. 

In the late 1950s, a couple called Richard and Mildred Loving were criminally charged for their interracial marriage. In 1969, the Supreme Court lifted all bans against interracial marriage in the Loving v. Virginia decision. California has allowed interracial marriage since 1948.

“Maybe I was naive, but I didn’t think anything of that,” Mike Wirtz shares with the outlet. “I thought, ‘I like this girl, and she’s very attractive and I’m interested in her,’ and so we just started dating. Obviously, I realized it was an interracial type of situation. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it, though, because I think one thing that helped was eventually when she met my parents, they welcomed her with open arms, and her family was the same way with me.”

“We knew that prejudice was out there and people would probably be looking at us but we didn’t look for that,” Jeralyn Wirtz expresses. “We didn’t, you know, engage in it.” Instead, the couple kept looking ahead in life. The couple got married, had children, supported and cherished each other and battled through illnesses.

At 72, the couple has their hands full with enjoying retirement, spending time with their three grandchildren, and basking in their success on TikTok. Jeralyn Wirtz especially enjoys being on the platform. “I like it. I love it. I think it’s fun,” Jeralyn Wirtz tells the outlet. “I get to tease my younger friends who are working on becoming influencers and don’t have a lot of followers. I’m like ‘I’m 72 years old and I’m a ‘YouTuber’ or an ‘influencer.’ It’s fun and funny for us.” On the other hand, Mile Wirtz says, “I’m not like Jeri. I don’t embrace it as much. We’re doing something that we enjoy and we’re having fun at it. And I would have never in a million years guessed that other people would be interested and watching these videos.”

 Jeralyn and Mike Wirtz post about their love story and being an interracial couple. You can follow their TikTok account (@jeriandmike) for more such content.