We might not be done with prejudice and racism just yet. Donna Pinckley highlights this social problem by taking photos of interracial couples in the Southern states of the US and pairing them with the hateful comments they’ve received from rude people over the years. She takes the photos in black and white to emphasize the affection these biracial couples have for each other instead of focusing on their skin tones.

The photo series titled “Sticks and Stones” was inspired by a girl from the photographer’s previous project. “Her mother and I were catching up in the kitchen when she told me of the cruel taunts hurled at her daughter for dating a boy of another race,” Pinckley wrote in her artist statement. “As she was speaking I was reminded of another mother in another kitchen many years ago, whose daughter had been the object of similar racial slurs. What struck me was the resilience of both couples in the face of derision, their refusal to let others define them.”

More info: donnapinckley.com (h/t: demilked, featuredshot)

“Don’t like black women?”

“They’re disgusting”

“Look at you taking another one of our good black men”

“There’re other black girls out there”

“All she wants from you is a green card”

“You’ll never be able to give her what a white man could”

“Why are you with her?”

“No other man will ever want you”

“I’ll bet your parents are really proud of you”

“Bitches like that are the reason we can’t get a good black man”

“What are you doing hanging out with n*****s?”

“What’s wrong with American women? Do you not like American women?”

“If she can’t use your comb, don’t bring her home!”

“You must like milky way”

“I told you a black woman lived with a white man in that house!”