Back in 1958 interracial couple Mildred Jeter (black) and Richard Loving (white) decided to get married. Unfortunately, interracial marriages were illegal and they were arrested in their home state of Virginia so they decided to move to Washington DC to get married. However, the state of Virgina banned it's residents from getting married anywhere else. Talk about the long arm of the law!
One night, while the Lovings were asleep, they were awakened by the police in their bedroom. They were taken to jail for the crime of being married. A trial was later performed and The Lovings were found guilty. The Lovings were spared jail time if they agreed to leave Virginia for a period of twenty five years. Given the choice between jail and exhile, they hose the later of the two. Although the couple was legally married, they still faced years of discrimination and were not able to rent property in most parts of the city. Furthermore, their union was still illegal in the eyes of Virginia.
One night, while the Lovings were asleep, they were awakened by the police in their bedroom. They were taken to jail for the crime of being married. A trial was later performed and The Lovings were found guilty. The Lovings were spared jail time if they agreed to leave Virginia for a period of twenty five years. Given the choice between jail and exhile, they hose the later of the two. Although the couple was legally married, they still faced years of discrimination and were not able to rent property in most parts of the city. Furthermore, their union was still illegal in the eyes of Virginia.
Eventually their case gained national exposure and made it all the way to the U.S Supreme Court. Although the Lovings won their case, as recently as 1967 sixteen states from Delaware to Texas had laws banning interracial couples. This case ended a long era of laws that were enforced in forty-two states over the course of American history. These laws did not only apply to black people and white people; many states also restricted relationships with Asians, Native Americans, Indians, Hispanics, and other races.
To commemorate this joyous occasion every year on June 12th, many sponsored organizations hold parties across the country. Fellow blo
gger and good friend Jason of Interracial Connection, will be attending this year's event. For those of you attending the celebration, he's giving away great prizes and interviewing people for Interracial Connection's Loving Day Feature. For those of us unable to make it to this year, Jason will be providing great details and awesome photos upon his return!Stop by Interracial Connection for further details...
I'm Out!
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