I watched HBO's documentary last night about Richard and Mildred Loving. Richard, white, and Mildred, black and Native American, were married in 1958 in Washington, D.C., a stone's throw from their home in Virginia. Soon after returning home to Virginia, they were arrested and jailed for violating Virginia law forbidding marriage between different races.
The Lovings became the plaintiffs in the Supreme Court ruling that eventually struck down Virginia's outdated law. The documentary followed the legal battle years, interviewing the ACLU lawyers, the couple's daughter and other relatives and friends. Both Richard and Mildred are no longer living.
The footage is in black and white, helping to set the time frame within which this battle was fought. Early 1960s. The lawyers, both in their 20s, were a couple of years out of law school when they argued before the Supreme Court. Mildred was just barely an adult, having married at age 17.
So I start searching for more about this couple. Richard died in a car accident in 1975, hit by a drunk driver. Mildred died in 2008. I was able to find a couple of contemporary images of Mildred with her children. What hits you is this is a contemporary family. 1967 wasn't that long ago.
In 2007, on the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling, Mildred released a rare statement. This is part of that statement:
I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about.
Amen.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mildred_Jeter_and_Richard_Loving.jpg
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