Abby Ng zine

Loving v;

Virginia FiGhtiNg Their love

changed the

world!

EgU ThEexe

RiKht

Martr

ght

a

ZiNE

VIRGINIA OF MENT

HEALTH

BULLETIN MARCH, 1924.

XVL.

Vol.

The New

Virginia

Extra No. 2.

Law

To Preserve Racial Integrity W.A. PCKEL,M. ID.,

StateReg'strar of Vial Statislics,

Richnond, Va.

To

Seute Bill 219, preserve reial integrity, passed the Marcs S, 1921, and isngva law of the State.

House

This till ains at correeting a condition which only the more thought people of Virginia know thegxistenceot. ial I is estimated that there are in the State iron 10,000 to 20,000, ossiblk more, hear white peopk, who are kown to possess nn inter

To *protect" the purity of the white race from race-mixing, racial integrity passed- including

laws were

the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. The RIA prohibited mixed

marriages and establishedthe one-drop rule to define who was white and who

was not. The one-drop ruie was further solidified

in

1930. Just one

non-white

great-great-grandparent would make someone"colored". The races, specifically

were white and those who weren't, could not mix.

who

d

wO i

fype to for

atseoyed

upon

assist

the white publie schr distrio of a

r

wi

those

There were many rulings on the matters of in 1883. In Pace,

interracial relations

like Pacev

Alabama

it was declared by the US Supreme Court that Alabama's

anti-miscegenation laws were

and is one of the oldest cases in America

constitutional

discussing interracial sex.

, 153 So. 2d 1)

a whit e woman were convicted of havi ing cohabitation by pe rsons of diffe they had been denied e ual protecti es their acts a criminal offense s ifferent races, and provide s for rsons of difrerent races than for me race. The F lorida supreme cO with approval an ear lie r decis UL UILer auy maieríar respect, olding that the equal protect ion ing less than $5,000.

For the same teashment is prescriDed for both off in the o ffense charged.

PACE Section

from

.

4189 of the Code of Alabama, living ial. anat

Durt of R idit

ALABAMA. prohibiting

ArSADENcE

AGE ATLAST BIAYHOAY 4

1 COLOR

AGE AT LAS

8IATKOAY

R

QR

HUMSER OF MARAIAGE

0cL

NAN

FA1

On the other side,there was Perez v. Sharp. In 1948, majoritythat California's, Ban on interracial

it

ruled

in a 4-3

marriagewas unconstitutional,

becoming

1 out of 19 states without anti-misceginationlaws.

IDE,

IF

SHE WAS PREVIOUSLY NARRIED

29states, including Virgina,continued on.

In 1950, a young Richard Loving and MIldred Jeter met as he was friends

with her older

brothers.

Richard was white.Mildred was not.

As timewent on they fell in love and Mildred got pregnant with her first child, Sidney,

who was born in 1957. She got pregnant again

1958 and the pair began making

moves to get married.

On June 2nd, 1958, Richard and Mildred travelled

to Washington

h duly authorized to celebrate Ohe license of

corresponding,ber

D.C., askhey could not

be married in

Virginia.

herey

chard PerryLovihg on the2ad

day of

ewg ceriy

They were

married

L. Henry at his home

by Reverend John

at 748 Princeton

Place.

ZND ict of C

marria

AND of On their return,

they were married and lived

in the Jeter

house as husband and wife. They hung

their

Süarriage irense

marriage license on the wall.

4202

On July 11th, 1958, warrants were issued They were woken in the middle of

for the Lovinsgs' arrest in violation

the night and arrested

his deputy and the county jailer.

They demanded

bed. Pointing to their

license,

by county sheriff Garnett

know why they were sleeping

to

Richard told them

Integriy n

Brooks, who broug together

in the

same

were married.

they

Carolij ciff or any

BernArd

nd infom RichArd,

plaint

said

of the Racial

wit: Dificer

Comna of

the sa

n.Com.Atty before

me,

said

County,

the

peace of sa

of the

5iS

9

Wi

County

19 wfully

and fel

rried to d-wa6--EP turne to

urpasa-of.bei ntion of re tu

te;and-afte

d

Wife

Ab

STATE County

mmonwealth

Wa

County, Sed the peace

has

To the She

WHEREAS pde

complai

pf

of

sai

M id

C

purpQs

Eh the yinn

nd

COsts The sheriff said it meant nothing in

was 6 months pregnant. and returning

as

Virginia.

They were jailed

On October 13th, they were

a mixed couple. They were referred

indicted

to

in

Bowling Green, 4 cells apart.

Mildred

for the crime of leaving

as Jeter" and Loving".

Virginia, marrying

The Lovings pied guilty. The judge presidingover the case,Leon

M

Bazile,sentenced them to l year in

jail, but suspended their

sentence with a caveat

they were to leave and not retum togetherto Viginia for 25 years.

They moved to D.C, at I151 Neal Street

Map 23

Northeast with their children.

493)

Dulles Arport

50 For fox City

George Mason

ashington

b

236

Uhiversity Federal Theatre roject Reseanch Center

DC

Washingten

620

95 495

The Lovings continued to return

to Caroline County-separately.

Peggy. their 3rd child, was born, and But in 1963,

the life of the Lovings

continued

on.

aington

grew tired Mildred and Richard

of

D.C.

Fairfas

Alexandria

hNmin

2 86.9

experiencing

financial

hardship.

RGROVE ST.

AZELRIDGE

ST. MACCRARY

1hr42min G6.9 miles

AVE.

They were

mild

They missed their family.

s0 Eredericksburg

Spotsylyania

Courtube

Bowi

The city was no place for them to raise their children, and Mildred decided to take action.

Mildred Loving wrote the Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy,

asking

if

therewas any way he could

to the American

Civil

help her family. He referred her

Rights Union (ACLU), and so she

wrote to young

lawyer Bernard S. Cohen for his

assistance,

signing off as Mrs. Richard Loving.

they fit the ACLU's criteria for the

Cohen was delighted by the Lovings' case

case

againstanti-miscegenation laws.

to fight

They were a white husband and a non-white wife, with a good from the Upper South. He

it

constituted "cruel and unusual

reputation

even loved their name

He filed a motion in November to Judge Bazile to overturn the claiming

ideal

"Loving".

Lovings' conviction.

punishment",

There was no response.

COHEN

BERNARO

s.

In 1964, he met Philip J. Hirschkop,

Who advised Cohen to file a motion to get 3 judges to address of the Loving

case,

the

constitutionality

bypassing Bazile.They joined forces.

In 1965.the3-court federal court date was nearing to state his opinion

closer,

on the motion to overturn from

and Judge Bazile decided 1963. Hewas still of the

opinion that the Lovings had committed the

grave crime of being married, he wrote:

"Almighty God created the races white, and he placed them on separate interferencewith

his

black, yellow, malay and red,

continents.And but for the

arrangement there would be no

shows Thefact that he separated the races

that

cause forsuch marriages.

he did not intend for the races

to mix."

In the 3-judge court., the case was able to go to the Virginia Supreme Court.

As long as the case was alive,the Lovin0s could live in Virginia, and so they dia, n King and Queen County.

The Crime of Being Married couple

A Virginia

overturn

to

fights

an old law against miscegenation

white,

is

Negro, he

is

She

married. This puts them

in

a kind of

home state of

specifically forbids

which

Virginia,

their

in

legal purgatory

and they are

in

terracial marriage.

Last weck

Mildred and Richard Lov

ing lost one more round in a seven-year Jegal battle, when the Virginia Supreme Court upheld gain hey were faced

of

the constitutionality

the state's antimiscegenation their

and with

law. Once

three

the loss of

children

home

and

livelihood.

in

Both

Lovings

were born and

the

isolated

hill

County,

Caroline

where

thcre

culminated

In the Virginia

Supreme Court, on March 7th, 1966,

it

north

of Richmond.

has always been an

going tolerance It stirred

raised

aroud

country

on

the race

easy

question.

when the couple a long and aeomat

litte fuss

was unanimously decided that the of

bed at

m.

and (ook them

off to

laws against interracial marriage in Virginia were Trightencd

and unaware of their

right

o

appeal, the Lovings lived hve years of hand-to-mouth exile in Washington.

Even so, they were re-arrested when

To cohabit as man and wife

still constitutional.

American

Civil Liberties

hi

in Virginia,

the

Union to take

acThaLwnue

Lovings would have to appeall Loving 1s. Vrginia may well become the next hie lqndmark in civil right.

to the

US Supreme Court.

Madred Richard, setback

Loving. 26, and husbanad

32, consider latest

n their batle to win the

right to tive

n Virgiaia,

CONTINUED

The US Supreme Court was the last chance for the Lovings Hirshkop took on the Equal

to have their

soy

Protectionclause of the 14th Amendment.

while Cohen took on the due process clause and the right to

marry.

IThe oral argument in the Supreme Court took place on April 10th, 1967.

For a long time, theclaimfor anti-miscegenation laws

and non-white parties

was that

because both

white

were punished equaly, it was not in violationof the 14th Amendment

However, the act of punishment

itself

was determined

were being punished because they were of different marry.

to be unconstitutionathey

races, and deprived of the right

to

Nine Years Of Fear End For Childhood Sweetheart (UPD

premeChMON

he Su-

marringe,

Riehard

Mdred

and

Richard And Müdred Lovtng, veethetrte since chlhood.

The young coupie days and nights In jall

On June 2, 1958, Rlchard, then nd Mldred, then 16, were marTled in Washington D, C. They had know them

his

cinda

ms

They once said they had no what scorn and hatred they wOuld feel Richard was learri ng the con struction trade and looked forward to taking his 1des

part-Indian wite Caroline Cou Virginia s Richmand.

But thei the beydey sive cesistance

part-Negro, back home to in the rolllng

gulty. could never

one y moved

Thetr

Feels Free

Mrs. Loving

bome to bea

After High Court Action

had thi of ma Mrs.

otgir to

Vireint

On

3oaies nòrth ofto see lar

the

Caroe rcuses.

eloped.

Vir

courts,

anti-miscegenation laws were unconstitutional.

Green before they vere reles on .bond for trial in County Cireuk Court six montha Iater.

They did not it aRnst the law for to marry and Iive in

uSUCt cour

uer

spent, slx at

rm

the courts found that

On June 12th, 1967, after deliberation, nd ll days of fear for

marria yeRrs

wsDana

Kene attor her

Wite dkard Count publloe

MEXANDRLA UH)

- Mrsspoken

wile

sad "I was living

nard P. Lwing sakd Monday, Virggnia but was a burden." ee tree now, on learDing The Lowings obsetved their th in

it

9

Suprene Court's wtuch throws out

de wedding anniversary on June 2. laws Mrs.Lowing said she had been Ang interracial marriages in confident the Supreme Oourt 116 states. wOAtd strike down he law whích MOdred Loving Negrohad made their marriage "rough" d fndian desoent Her bustánd n the bezinning The lawyers did such chard, 3 js white.

1so

d

THE TOVINGS were át

ews

in the jaw offices of

deeful juestion

mleretee

he

here

Oshe

an

HER-ARAND aid the de TSard beheve

ctsion

attorneys

sad o

don't

betie

Su

gent

1204 14101

Sweet

On June 12th,the Lovings

her_

drea

her_

dream.

conviction was overturned.

8 years.

In 1975,

Richard was

accident. Mildred years

was only in her 30s. She would never remarry. The Lovings

8 years less than the 25 years they were exiled

were marrie

car

killed

a

another

in

happily for

e.

The Lovings continued to live in Virginia

1

for.

bapd ely, no

The Loving case became a to

the deccision

Mildred

marry,

in

herself

ve

landmark

Obergerfell

believed

the

Caucas

keep

the

y

that was cited

precedent

as

that laws prohibiting

Hodoeg

o

that

and

case

anyone, 1 regardless

in same-sex marriage cases and led

same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. or gender should be able to have the right to

of race, age,

mendm scen. vely a of ma athed

to

th juy

Miseeenn Appealed

When we think of the Lovings today, we should remember how Richard and Mildred did not start this

Marriage

vs.

uw

journey

to be pioneers.

County,near their family

They did

it

out

they

foundation

for more

a

desire

to build

a good life for their children in Caroline

and community. Although they recognized the potential

were simply fighting

for others,

of

for their right to love each other,

love all across America.

their

case would have

And their love became the

SCAN

THANKyo

FoR

RENDING

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