1957:
Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving were both born and raised in Caroline County, Virginia, and are filled with love. But they faced a problem. The laws at the time required all individuals to be classified as either ‘white’ or ‘colored’ making it forbidden for marital relationships to form across races. Mildred and Richard didn’t care about the stupid rules.
2016:
I was more nervous than ever before starting my high school journey in the halls of my mother's alma mater in Pointe Coupee Parish. In a cold room filled with strangers sat a boy who would soon change everything I thought I knew about life. In almost no time our friendship blossomed through our mutual love of track and field. Hours felt like minutes as we talked while seated on the boiling tarmac once practice concluded. Within no time, I had my first high school best friend, Blake. Within no time, the inevitable happened, and feelings of friendship grew into something deeper. Like Mildred and Richard, we were of different races.
1958:
Marriage was the ultimate goal for Richard and Mildred, causing them to travel to Washington,
D.C., to legalize their marriage in June of 1958 because interracial marriage was banned in various states within the U.S. including Virginia. Yet they married in D.C. anyway causing them to be prosecuted and convicted of violating the Laws upon returning to Virginia. The Lovings’s decision to join in marriage caused them to be banished by court order from the state of VA.
2019:
Our laughter was endless as our bodies ached while we sat on the hardwood floor in my childhood home finishing our homecoming arts and crafts. Covered in glue and glitter, we sparkled under the bright lights of the living room happy to be together our last year of high school. As the night went on, we decided it was time to wind down and watch a movie. Snuggled on the couch in my pink donut onesie, everything felt so normal. The clock struck midnight, and with the roar of the movie in the background, Blake turned to me and said, “Will you be my girlfriend?” With a big smile, all I could say was yes, I knew there was always an unwavering sense of comfort and safety when I was with him. Deep down, I knew that my sense of comfort in being in an interracial relationship was because of the hardships faced by the Lovings.
1958:
Marriage was the ultimate goal for Richard and Mildred, causing them to travel to Washington, D.C., to legalize their marriage in June of 1958 because interracial marriage was banned in various states within the U.S. including Virginia. Yet they married in D.C. anyway causing them to be prosecuted and convicted of violating the Laws upon returning to Virginia. The Lovings’s decision to join in marriage caused them to be banished by court order from the state of VA.
2019:
Our laughter was endless as our bodies ached while we sat on the hardwood floor in my childhood home finishing our homecoming arts and crafts. Covered in glue and glitter, we sparkled under the bright lights of the living room happy to be together our last year of high school. As the night went on, we decided it was time to wind down and watch a movie. Snuggled on the couch in my pink donut onesie, everything felt so normal. The clock struck midnight, and with the roar of the movie in the background, Blake turned to me and said, “Will you be my girlfriend?” With a big smile, all I could say was yes, I knew there was always an unwavering sense of comfort and safety when I was with him. Deep down, I knew that my sense of comfort in being in an interracial relationship was because of the hardships faced by the
Lovings.
1964:
After years of being forced to live together in fear of facing another prosecution, the Lovings fought for their love. With the help of the American Civil Liberties Union, they appealed the decision set previously by the Supreme Court which favored Virginia’s decision to criminalize interracial marriage. On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court came to a unanimous decision dismissing the convictions brought by Virginia, paving the way for people like me to love without restriction freely.
2023:
The day was brighter than usual. I woke up excited, knowing we were going on a long overdue date to celebrate our fourth anniversary. “You should do your hair now, so you don’t have to do it later,” Blake said. He knew, but I didn't, that our lives would change that day. I took my time defining each curl as I got ready for class. Hours passed and it was finally time to finish getting ready for our date. We laughed and talked as I delicately brushed the makeup on my face and watched Blake buckle my heels to get in the car. The horn of a train filled the air as we sat in an
unusual silence waiting for it to pass. Once it did, we continued our journey –which abruptly ended as Blake swerved into a parking spot. “Get out, let’s go for a walk,” he said nervously. As I got out of the car, I could feel the weight of the air pressing down on my shoulders. I sensed that something big was about to happen. Rose petals covered the grass and I saw a white canvas filled with pink flowers and black lettering that read, “Will you marry me?”
THE LOVINGS:
Once the Lovings returned to Virginia, they lived a quiet peaceful life out of the public eye. Mildred and Richard had three children together and a total of eight grandchildren to carry on the legacy of love they left behind. The Lovings: An Intimate Portrait a book by Villet Barbara explores the trials and tribulations of the lovings faced to help change the history of interracial relationships. Their life-changing story has been honored through various books, films, and even a holiday on June 12 which is considered Loving Day.
THE CHUSTZ:
I can plan my wedding for September 28, 2024, to Blake without fear of being arrested and convicted of crimes. The struggles that we face daily, such as strange looks in the grocery store,
or even worrying if some of Blake’s family members will accept me, will never compare to the trials and tribulations the Lovings went through for love. I will forever be grateful and celebrate our relationship, knowing that it was previously illegal to love.
