1948 – Seretse Khama and Ruth
In 1948, Seretse Khama, a royal Prince from Botswana married Ruth, a British lady in England. Soon after their marriage, Ruth’s family disowned her, and she lost her job. Due to the publicity of their marriage, the royal prince was banned from entering Botswana and was arrested by the British to prevent him from leaving the country. The couple were forced to divorce but stood the test of time. Eventually, Seretse was released and were allowed to travel to Botswana in 1956 where he started a political career and soon became the first president of Botswana in 1912. Their marriage was an inspiration to interracial couples around the world, and Ruth’s resilience motivated other white women to be confident and comfortable with their black partners. The life of this couple was made into a movie and is greatly discussed in social history.
