NewsBreak Original

Naples residents, Monroe and Lavonne Williams, have been married 48 years. Despite their long marriage, the interracial couple acknowledge it hasn’t always been easy. “In the early 1970’s,” said Monroe, “racial tension was high and interracial marriages or courting was not something that was very acceptable.” That kind of prejudice was especially hard for Lavonne. “The biggest challenge for me was to control my anger when I would see the treatment we received because of our marriage,” said Lavonne. “One person said she would be more understanding if both of us were either black or white.”