Loving Day on June 12 commemorates the 1967 landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia that struck down state laws banning interracial marriage. At the time of the unanimous decision, 16 states still had laws that made interracial marriage illegal. Virginia’s law was based on a long history of racism that culminated in the oppressive Racial Integrity Act of 1924. Mildred and Richard Loving got married in 1958 in Washington, DC where their marriage was legal. They returned to Virginia where a few weeks later on July 11, they were awakened and arrested at 2:00am in their home in Caroline County, VA. They were convicted of a felony and sentenced to either one year in prison or 25 years of exile from Virginia. During their sentencing, the judge made the following remarks that show how racist interpretations of the Bible were used to enforce segregation:
Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, melay, and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.
The Lovings chose to live in exile in Washington, DC. From there they engaged in the legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court where the case was decided on June 12, 1967. The Lovings returned to their home in Virginia where they raised their three children. Richard was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 1975, and Mildred died in 2008. On the 40th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision, Mildred shared the following words about the connection between that decision and the legal case for same sex marriage:
Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don’t think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the”wrong kind of person” for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people’s civil rights. 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.
Even though same sex marriage is now legal in our nation, my own United Methodist Church continues to struggle with and will likely divide over whether or not to fully include LGBTQ people in our churches. The words of Mildred Loving quoted above and the witness of Mildred and Richard Loving should still guide us today. The video posted below is a brief and moving summary of Loving v. Virginia. The documentary mentioned in the report (“The Loving Story”) is available to rent through some of the main streaming services.