Magnify Your Knowledge: Richard & Mildred Loving

Richard and Mildred Loving married in 1958 in Washington D.C. Following their wedding, the Lovings returned to Virgina to build a home and start a family. However, since Richard was white and Mildred was Black, their union violated Virginia's Racial Integrity Act. The Lovings were arrested and charged. When they pled guilty, the judge gave them a choice: leave Virginia for 25 years or go to prison. The Lovings returned to Washington DC. Mildred later told their story to the American Civil Liberties Union, which eagerly took up their case. A unanimous Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia on June 12, 1967 that laws banning interracial marriage violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, overturning such laws in 16 states. To learn more about the Lovings, explore the History Channel article on their lives.