Virginia is for Lovers
The phrase “Virginia is for Lovers” was part of ad campaign for the state of Virginia since the lat 1960s. However, Virginia was certainly not for all lovers at one point in its long history.
Mildred and Richard Loving were in many ways like any other Virginia couple. They were young and recently married, had normal jobs, and were quite productive members of society. They lived out in Caroline County, a few miles south of Fredericksburg, Virginia or about 50 miles south of the nation’s capital, Washington D.C.
However, they were a couple unusual for their time, especially in an area considered Southern Virginia. Richard was Caucasian and Mildred was of partial African American descent. At this time in the state of Virginia, mixed race marriages such as this were considered illegal. The couple went North to Washington D.C to become officially married.
The police raided their home at the late hours of the night hoping to catch them having sex (since that was illegal between races as well). While they didn’t catch them in any such activity when the Loving’s pointed out their DC marriage certificate, the police told them it wasn’t considered valid and they would have to separate.
Given the state’s long history in non-consensual relations between different races during the pre-civil war era, it is disappointing to have had a such backward views on the relationship between two consenting adults. The Loving’s were convicted for violating the state’s anti-miscegenation laws, and were to be thrown into prison for one year. As an alternate, the Loving’s were given the option to leave the state for 25 years and never to return together during that time. They took this option and moved to D.C. in order to remain together.
Twenty Five years didn’t come to pass as the Lovings grew increasingly frustrated and distanced from their families back south in Virginia. This eventually led to a legal case against the State of Virginia that eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United States at which point on June 12, 1967 ruled in favor of the Lovings. They were free to return home to Virginia and the anti-miscegenation law was struck down. Equal treatment in this law meaning both races were equally punished was not considered a valid reason to uphold the law, as it used race to define the law’s pretenses and expectations.
While Virginia is a much different place since the time of the Loving’s court case and struggles, similar discrimination persists across the country and in different forms. Whether that be of race or sexual orientation, the country still struggles with the idea of different at times. What is promising however, is the slow unending push of change and the gradual acceptance of healthy differences in our society, especially so among two consenting adults.
If the Loving’s were to be persecuted today there would be widespread outrage and anger over their treatment. Mixed race relationships are commonly accepted these days, and it continues to reach the highest levels of politics and power in this country. Consider this, Barack Obama is a child of a mixed race relationship, the 44th President of The United States.
Even more recently, our new Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris is married to Doug Emhoff, the first in a mixed race marriage while in the White House. Having people in power that look more like the people they represent, whether that be thru their skin color, their sexual orientation, and relationships is extremely impactful. Having icons or people to look up to that look like you can be inspiring and give a sense of hope that people of all types have a place in American society. While the hurdles are high at times, the endurance and persistence of our predecessors and now of us, set the stage for the better future for all.
