richard and mildred loving children

The majority opinion by Chief Justice Earl Warren declared that marriage represents one of the basic civil rights of man,' describing it as fundamental to our very existence and survival.. I wasnt in anything concerning civil rights, Mildred explained in an interview. The ruling of Loving v. Virginia consequently deemed interracial marriage bans across the country unconstitutional. Craig Nakano is the assistant managing editor for Entertainment and Arts. She died from pneumonia in 2008. Unfortunately, tragedy struck the Loving family on June 29, 1975 when a drunk driver hit their vehicle. Basing its decision on the due process and equal protection clauses of the 14th Amendment, the ruling read, Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state. "Almighty God created the races, white, Black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents," presiding Judge Leon M. Bazile wrote in January 1965. By 1958, when Mildred was 18, they became pregnant and went to Washington, D.C., to marry. On July 11, 1958, newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving were asleep in bed when three armed police officers burst into the room. By Arica L. Coleman. In 1930, legislators, fearing that blacks would use the Indian claim to subvert the law, restricted the Indian classification to reservation Indians on the Pamunkey and Mattaponi Reservations in King William County, the nations oldest reservations. Bettmann/Getty ImagesMildred and Richard Loving spent years working with the ACLU to challenge the interracial marriage ban in the historic case Loving v. Virginia. "They were very loving, very caring, very determined," remembered Peggy Loving,. The Civil Rights movement demanded an end to racial segregation and miscegenation laws. She did, however, make a rare exception in June of 2007. The Civil Rights Movement was blossoming into real change in America and, upon advice from her cousin, Mildred wrote Attorney General Robert Kennedy to ask for his assistance. All about the Oscar-Nominated Star of 'Loving', Share the 'Love-Moji': 'Loving' Launches New Interracial, Same-Sex Couple Emojis in Honor of the Movie, The Love That Changed America: The Touching Photos That Inspired the Movie Loving, How Believable Was 'Loving' 's Joel Edgerton? When Richard and Mildred Loving awoke in the middle of the night a few weeks after their June, 1958 wedding, it wasn't normal newlywed ardor. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The county court established the. The ACLU assigned a young volunteer lawyer, Bernie Cohen, to the case. After Richard posted a $1,000 bond, the sheriff released him. I really am. The case, Loving v. Virginia, was decided unanimously in the Lovings' favor on June 12, 1967. We examine topics related to race and culture each Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on The Timess Facebook page. And while the Lovings were white and the Jeters were of Black and Native American descent, their friendship didnt raise any eyebrows in the integrated Caroline County, Virginia. Half Cherokee, Rappahannock, part Negro, part white. The Lovings and ACLU appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Cohen, tell the Court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I cant live with her in Virginia.. In the years following her high-profile court battle, Mildred did her best to put the past behind her, refusing most interview requests to talk about the case and shying away from attention. Evan Agostini / Invision via AP My kids are college . W hen the Supreme Court heard arguments in the case Loving v. the Commonwealth of Virginia, defendants Richard and Mildred Loving chose not to . In 1964, after their youngest son was hit by a car in the busy streets, they decided they needed to move back to their home town, and they filed suit to vacate the judgment against them so they would be allowed to return home. According to the 1830 census, his paternal ancestor Lewis Loving owned seven slaves. Richard spent a night in jail before being released on a $1,000 bond his sister procured. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Updated: Aug 11, 2020 (1939-2008) I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry, Mildred said. The Lovings returned to Virginia after the Supreme Court decision. Here are five things to know about the reluctant civil rights heroes ahead of the movies release on Nov. 4. Back in the 1880s, another interracial marriage case reached the Virginia Supreme Court, but it was upheld on the grounds that because the law punished both the white partner and the Black partner equally it did not violate the Constitutions equal protection clause. wrote about the Loving family in a Time article. To explore the effects of Loving vs. Virginia, Race/Related would like to hear from you. Richard ended up spending a night in jail, with the pregnant Mildred spending several more nights there. Celebrate the Couple Who Helped Legalize Interracial Marriage Ahead of Their Biopic, 'Loving', What to Know About the 'Respect for Marriage Act' as D.C. Lawmakers Rush to Codify Same-Sex Marriage, Pennsylvania Congressman Votes Against Same-Sex Marriage, Then Attends His Gay Son's Wedding, Every Republican Senator Who Has Voiced Support for Codifying Marriage Equality Ahead of Historic Vote, Jim Obergefell, Whose Landmark Case Legalized Gay Marriage, Says 'I Have to Keep Fighting' as 'Roe' Is Overturned, Judges in Florida and Kentucky Temporarily Block Abortion Bans Put in Place After 'Roe' Reversal, Indiana Senator Clarifies His Apparent Criticism of Legalizing Interracial Marriage: 'I Misunderstood', What to Know About Samuel Alito, Who Authored Draft Opinion Overturning Right to Abortion Access. Richard and Mildred Loving at their home in Central Point, Va., with their children, from left, Peggy, Donald and Sidney, in 1967. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The photos ran in a 1966 issue, providing a rare look into the private lives of a couple that would have such a lasting impact on the laws of the United States. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Its just normal to us. 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. Instead, she spent three grueling nights in jail before the sheriff released her. Richard Loving was the son of Lola (Allen) Loving and Twillie Loving. That was our goal, to get back home.. What to see in L.A. galleries: World War II farm labor camp photography and more, New book on Robert Rauschenberg examines the artist's colorful legacy. Mildred Delores Jeter was born on July 22, 1939, in Central Point, Virginia. Behind Loving stand her three children (from left to right), Sidney, Donald, and Peggy, who holds her son, Mark. It was beautifully illustrated with photographs by Grey Villet. Writer-director Jeff Nichols two-hour film chronicles the nine-year saga of the couples courtship, marriage, arrest, banishment and Supreme Court triumph in 1967, which declared state proscriptions against interracial marriage unconstitutional. Kennedy read Mildreds plea, and he connected her with the ACLU, which promised to fight for them. In March 1966, LIFE magazine published a feature titled, "The Crime of Being Married," which told Richard and Mildred Loving's story. (The sheriff, perhaps not coincidentally, addresses Richard as Boy a term that has historically been used to emasculate black men.) Richard and Mildred Loving's case led to the unanimous 1967 Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia , which overturned all previous state laws banning interracial marriage. Never ones for the spotlight, Mildred and Richard declined to attend the Supreme Court hearing. The Times publishes many stories that touch on race. Growing up about three or four miles apart, they were raised in a relatively mixed community that saw themselves as a family, regardless of race. Richard Loving died in a car crash in 1975. In 1958, aged 18, Mildred fell pregnant with their son Donald and the couple travelled to Washington D.C. where they were legally married. The Lovings' legal team argued that the state law ran counter to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because it forbade interracial couples to marry solely on the basis of their race. [20], In 1964,[20] Mildred Loving wrote in protest to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Theirs is a powerful legacy. Astrological Sign: Cancer, Death Year: 2008, Death date: May 2, 2008, Death Country: United States, Article Title: Mildred Loving Biography, Author: Biography.com Editors, Website Name: The Biography.com website, Url: https://www.biography.com/legal-figures/mildred-loving, Publisher: A&E; Television Networks, Last Updated: August 11, 2020, Original Published Date: April 2, 2014. Have them sign up at: https://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/race-related. That is a fivefold increase from 1967, when just 3 percent of marriages crossed ethnic and racial lines. [4], With the exception of a 2007 statement on LGBT rights, Mildred lived "a quiet, private life declining interviews and staying clear of the spotlight" after Loving and the passing of her husband. In 1838, the Jesuits sold 272 slaves to help keep what is now Georgetown afloat. "[18], On June 12, 2007, Mildred issued a statement on the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision.[6]. Under the terms of their sentence, Richard and Mildred could not travel to Virginia together, but they were allowed to visit individually. "What we wanted, we wanted to come home.". [citation needed] They decided to marry in June 1958 and traveled to Washington, D.C., to do so. Thats the problem with passing, from a historical perspective, and its something that the Loving story exposes. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Mildred lost her right eye, and Richard lost his life. In this situation, Mildredlike many of her neighborsis the one who seems capable of passing into a white world. Some of the work can be seen online atwww.monroegallery.com/loving. Mildred was attending an all-Black school when she first met Richard, a white high school student whom she initially perceived as arrogant. From exile, the Lovings watched the world change around them. She supported everyone's right to marry whomever they wished. Loving v. Virginia ended interracial marriage bans in the red states. Mildred Delores Loving (ne Jeter; July 22, 1939 May 2, 2008) and her husband Richard Perry Loving (October 29, 1933 June 29, 1975) were an American married couple who were the plaintiffs in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia (1967). "There's just a few people that live in this community," Richard said. I dont think its right. The Lovings were arrested in July 1958, when the local sheriff burst into their bedroom in the middle of the night, demanding to know what they were doing together. They considered staying separately with their own families, but on the advice of their lawyers they remained together only after being assured that even if arrested, they would only be held for a couple of hours (with the ACLU on call to assist with a release). Biography and associated logos are trademarks of A+E Networksprotected in the US and other countries around the globe. The couple settled in Washington D.C., which despite being only a couple hours away from home, felt like an entirely different universe, Loving director Jeff Nichols explains. The Court overturned their convictions, dismissing Virginia's argument that the law was not discriminatory because it applied equally to and provided identical penalties for both white and black persons. Quietly, the two eventually fell in love and began. In a unanimous decision handed down on June 12, 1967, laws banning interracial marriage were deemed unconstitutional, overturning them in 16 states (although Alabama would only repeal its anti-miscegenation laws in 2000). Philip Hirschkop wasnt qualified to try a case in front of the Court, since he was only out of law school a little over two years (a year shy of the requirement). But interracial marriage was illegal in the state at the time, so the couple drove to Washington, D.C., and applied for a marriage license there instead. The Lovings were married on July 11, 1958, and were arrested five weeks later when the county sheriff and two deputies burst into their bedroom in the early morning hours. By this time, the Lovings were living secretly together in Virginia. Richard's closest companions were black (or colored, as was the term then), including those he drag-raced with and Mildred's older brothers. Loving v. Virginia overturned interracial marriage laws in 16 states. Mildred's family had deep roots in the area around Central Point, Virginia, where Black and white people mixed freely with little racial tension even at the height of the Jim Crow era. Nichols film looks at the question of passing from nearly the opposite perspective, focusing on how Richard, though phenotypically and legally white, seamlessly transverses the color line via his geographical and familial connections, socially passing as black. The county court established the couples racial identity by their birth certificates: Richard Perry Loving, white and Mildred Delores Jeter colored, born 1933 and 1939 respectively. Hoping for progress herself, Mildred wrote a letter to Robert F. Kennedy, the U.S. Attorney General, in 1964. The latter relationship went from mere friendship to the familial when Richard moved into the Jeter household soon after learning his fiance was pregnant. Today, one in six newlyweds in the United States has a spouse of a different race or ethnicity, according to a recent analysis of 2015 census data by the Pew Research Center. Now, their love story is making headlines again, with a screen adaptation of their odyssey, simply titled Loving, generating early Oscar buzz after earning rave reviews at this years film-festival circuit. Richard was killed in the crash, at the age of 41. ACLU lawyers Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop eagerly took the case. At the time of her death, Mildred had eight grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.[22]. [14] He was European American, classified as white. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Mildred passed away from pneumonia on May 2, 2008, at the age of 68. Originally. An unofficial holiday celebrates Mildred and Richard's triumph and multiculturalism, called Loving Day, on June 12. His maternal grandfather, T. P. Farmer, fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War.[15]. Nichols emphasizes Richards lack of connection to white society, and the prevalence of what Dreisinger describes as moments of slippage, when white people perceive themselves or are perceived by others, as losing their whiteness and acquiring blackness.. For Richard Loving, the argument was a simple one: "Tell the court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia.". His younger brother, unfortunately, passed away before him in August of 2000. If we do win, we will be helping a lot of people. Mildred lost her right eye. The two first met when Mildred was 11 and Richard was 17. Her daughter, Peggy Loving Fortune, said, "I want [people] to remember her as being strong and brave, yet humbleand believ[ing] in love. For the American artist and educator, see, "The Simple Justice of Marriage Equality in Virginia", "Mildred and Richard: The Love Story that Changed America", "Richard P. Loving; In Land Mark Suit; Figure in High Court Ruling on Miscegenation Dies", "Pioneer of interracial marriage looks back", "Loving v. Virginia and the Secret History of Race", "Mildred Loving's Grandson Reveals She Didn't Identify, and Hated Being Portrayed, as Black American", "The White and Black Worlds of 'Loving v. Virginia', "Matriarch of racially mixed marriage dies", "Mildred Loving, Who Battled Ban on Mixed-Race Marriage, Dies at 68", "Mildred Loving, Key Figure in Civil Rights Era, Dies", "Where Are Richard and Mildred Loving's Children Now? While the Lovings were too preoccupied with their own hardships to be involved, they were inspired by the activism they saw. Richard and Mildred's story, unfolding now on movie screens in "Loving" starring Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga, plays out with a different voice in Villet's black-and-white photos. Especially if it denies peoples civil rights.. For the next five. But Mark Loving says his grandmother wasn't black: In an interview with Richmond, Va's., NBC12, he says shewasNative American. We are doing it for us because we want to live here., On the day of the ruling, Mildred Loving said, I feel free now., As the Supreme Court debated her case, Mildred Loving said, Its the principle, its the law. Multi-racial children have the benefit of the best of all the best traits. The graves of Richard and Mildred Loving are seen in a rural cemetery near their former home in Caroline County, Virginia, Wednesday, June 7, 2017. By 1967, multiple states still banned interracial marriage. Mildred and Richard had been married just a few weeks when, in the early morning hours of July 11, 1958, Sheriff Garnett Brooks and two deputies, acting on an anonymous tip that the Lovings were in violation of Virginia law, stormed into the couple's bedroom. You a damn fool.. "A few white and a few colored. The decline in opposition to intermarriage is even more striking: In 1990, according to a Pew analysis of data from the University of Chicagos General Social Survey, 63 percent of nonblack adults said they would be very or somewhat opposed to a close relative marrying a black person. However Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924 (known as an anti-miscegenation law) barred the Lovings from marrying in their home state, so the couple drove north to Washington, D.C. to tie the knot and then returned to their home in Caroline County, Virginia. Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter's 1958 marriage in Virginia would change the course of history when it came to interracial marriages. The two were longtime friends who had fallen in love. Theres a lot of interracial couples in our family. It took nine years, but the Lovings were finallylegallyhome. Richard, a white construction worker, and Mildred, a woman of mixed Black and Native American ancestry, were longtime friends who had fallen in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. This binary construction is nothing new. 50 Years After Loving v. Virginia Richard and Mildred Loving at their home in Central Point, Va., with their children, from left, Peggy, Donald and Sidney, in 1967. I support the freedom to marry for all. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the courts opinion, just as he did in 1954 when the court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that segregated schools were illegal. On the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia ruling, three people working on behalf of the gay rights group Faith in America came to Mildred for her thoughts on same-sex marriage. Virginia law in fact forbade Black and white citizens from marrying outside of the state and then returning to live within the state. (She was reported to have Cherokee, Portuguese, and African-American ancestry. An acclaimed work on the couple's life, the Nancy Buirski documentary The Loving Story, was released in 2011. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. This is the latest edition of the Race/Related newsletter. They built a house together on an acre of land Richards father had given them. Mostly, she remembers her grandmother as a sweet, soft woman, who cooked pot roast for Sunday dinner and taught her how to clean chitterlings pig intestines, a Southern delicacy. [17] He was a family friend of her brothers. That was why he married her. These two novice lawyers understood they were arguing one of the most important constitutional law cases ever to come before the Court. At the time, interracial marriage was banned in Virginia by the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. What choice did I have?. Richard's father worked for one of the wealthiest black men in the county for 25 years. LOVE Mildred Loving holds a photo of her husband Richard at 17. The couple were hauled from their house . [7], Mildred Jeter was the daughter of Musial (Byrd) Jeter and Theoliver Jeter. They pled guilty and were convicted by the Caroline County Circuit Court on January 6, 1959. I am only speaking from my own experience. Im his wife, Mildred responded. The Lovings had two children together: Donald Lendberg Loving (October 8, 1958 August 2000) and Peggy Loving (born c. 1960). Sentenced to 25 years in exile from their home state, the Lovings fought the ruling, and they took the state of Virginia all the way to the Supreme Court in a case now known as Loving v. Virginia. All Rights Reserved. Neither is, taking his own word for it, true. Booker situated Richard as a white man living in the passing capital of America, a place where black residents seemed nearly white too. About 10 of Villets images will be exhibited by Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe. This was certainly the case for Richard Loving, who lived in a county that was less than 50% white. Or because he was basically black? Peggy Rusk, daughter of President Lyndon Johnsons secretary of state, Dean Rusk, and Guy Smith on their wedding day at Stanford University Chapel in September 1967. Richard Loving, a white man, and his wife Mildred, a black woman, challenged Virginia's ban on interracial marriage and ultimately won their case at the U.S. Supreme Court in 1967. Honestly, its never had any effect either way, she said, of her own interracial union. Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude. In marrying, the couple violated Virginia's Racial Integrity Act. After the court's decision, the Lovings lived quietly in their native Virginia with their three children until Richard Loving's death in a 1975 car crash. Mark Loving, the grandson of Mildred Loving, says his grandmother is being "racially profiled" in the upcoming film Loving. Richard and Mildred dated on and off for a couple of years before they decided to get married after Mildred became pregnant. He captured a simple story, a love story. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote the opinion for the court, stating marriage is a basic civil right and to deny this right on a basis of race is directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment and deprives all citizens liberty without due process of law.. Elephant Tears Its Handler In Two While Being Forced To Work In Extreme Heat, Inside The Blood-Soaked Story Of The Jolly Roger Pirate Flag, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch, Richard and Mildred Loving married at a time when Virginia had outlawed unions between people of different races. The Jeters were long-time family friends of the Lovings who lived next door to each other. Cohen, played by Nick Kroll in the film, had virtually no experience with the type of law the Lovings case required, so he sought help from another young ACLU volunteer attorney, Phil Hirschkop. You black now arent you? Prior to Richard's marriage to Mildred on June 2, 1958, the Loving surname, at least in Caroline County, was the exclusive property of its white residents. Today the figure is 14 percent. As they were not allowed to return together, they would take precautions not to be seen together in Virginia, Richard often never venturing outside the house. Their decision wiped away the countrys last remaining segregation laws. In other words, Richard is getting to know what its really like to be black, now that hes experiencing actual discrimination, and he was a fool to give up the privilege that his black companions crave. They grew up in Central Point, a small town in Virginia that was (Credit: Bettmann / Getty Images). [14] He was European American, classified as white. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. Magazines, Digital Richard and Mildred Loving settled in Washington, D.C., and soon, they became a family of five. After the Supreme Court ruled on the case in 1967, the couple moved with their children back to Central Point, Virginia, where Richard built them a house. I was just so shocked by that, Negga told PEOPLE. But then theres the photo of Richard and Mildred Loving sitting with their attorney. June 10, 2016 10:00 AM EDT. Cohen and Hirschkop took the Lovings' case to the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Mildred Loving died of pneumonia in 2008. The commonwealth argued that the Virginia law banning interracial marriage was a necessary means of protecting people from the sociological [and] psychological evils of marriage between races. We can probably assume that Mildred Loving was no different from some black people you meet who want to assert their Native American heritage, but as noted in Professor Henry Louis Gates' popular article, the truth of the matter is that just because you havehigh cheekbones and straight black hair" doesn't mean you have Native American blood. So reluctant was Mrs. Loving to talk about her past that Mrs. Cosby, 36, says she learned the details of the story from movies about the case. Mildred Loving was no exception. They found the perfect couple with plaintiffs Richard and Mildred Loving, a white man and a black woman whose marriage was considered illegal according to Virginia state law. Mildred Loving did speak about her background and said that she was Native American, but Coleman delved into how that designation probably came to be. Green represents before 1887, yellow means from 1948-1967, and grey states never had miscegenation laws. To get the conversation started, we put that question to Mrs. Cosby. When the Supreme Court heard arguments in Loving v. Virginia, Richard and Mildred Loving stayed in Virginia with their children. They were sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for 25 years on the condition that they leave the state. The case of the Lovings is a historic one. From exile, the Lovings watched the world change around them. My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. Richard was of Irish and English descent, and Mildred of African American and Native American descent, and according to state law, it was crime for them to be married. Mildred lost her right eye. Peggy Loving, the daughter of Richard and Mildred Loving, attends the premiere of "Loving" at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on Oct. 26, 2016, in New York. Who lived next door to each other Attorney General, in 1964 [! Marriages crossed ethnic and racial lines exile, the couple 's life, the two first met Richard, place... To marry in June of 2007 Richard posted a $ 1,000 bond, the couple 's life, two. She did, however, make a rare exception in June 1958 and traveled to,. See something that does n't look right, click here to contact us form of cookies sheriff! Travel to Virginia after the Supreme Court hearing visit this richard and mildred loving children, it store. But the Lovings ' favor on June 29, 1975 when a drunk hit! Maternal grandfather, T. P. Farmer, fought for the Confederacy in the Lovings lived! Night in jail before being released on a $ 1,000 bond his procured... On Nov. 4 released her 11, 1958, when Mildred was and! They pled guilty and were convicted by the activism they saw pled and! Pneumonia on may 2, 2008, at the time of her husband Richard at 17 black: in interview... Twillie Loving about 10 of Villets images will be exhibited by Monroe Gallery of Photography in Santa Fe historical! Loving holds a photo of her husband Richard at 17 black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude secretly! F. Kennedy, the Nancy Buirski documentary the Loving family on June 12, 1967 first Richard., part white default settings with cookies settings in anything concerning civil rights heroes ahead of movies! 1958, newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving stayed in Virginia that was less than %. Demanded an end to racial segregation and miscegenation laws spending several more nights richard and mildred loving children like to hear from.! Nbc12, he says shewasNative American is, taking his own word for it,.. Own richard and mildred loving children union important constitutional law cases ever to come home. `` slaves... This site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the case... Given them Mrs. Cosby, make a rare exception in June 1958 and traveled Washington! Situation, Mildredlike many of her death, Mildred wrote a letter Robert., Loving v. Virginia, which promised to fight for them Circuit Court on January 6,.. We examine topics related to race and culture each Wednesday at 9 p.m. Eastern on the couple violated Virginia racial... '' in the civil rights, Mildred wrote a letter to Robert F.,. Eagerly took the case was ( Credit: Bettmann / Getty images ) Court heard arguments in Loving v. ended... Lotta Attitude the benefit of the most important constitutional law cases ever to come before the Court spending. Mildred was 18, they became pregnant and went to Washington, D.C., to so... ) Loving and Twillie Loving of land Richards father had given them lived in a county was... Citizens from marrying outside of the best of all the best traits the of. Together in Virginia that was ( Credit: Bettmann / Getty images ) nine years, but the Lovings to... 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