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Mildred Loving Dies
Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 2:33AM 
Richard and Mildred Loving got married and made history in 1958. They were the couple that overturned one of the last vestiges of racism in America. She was black and he was white and interracial marriages were forbidden in their home state of Virginia. They got married anyway and eventually took their case (Loving v. Virginia) to the Supreme Court. In its decision, on June 12, 1967, the court struck down the Virginia law and similar laws in 16 other states.
"Marriage is one of the 'basic civil rights of man,' fundamental to our very existence and survival," wrote Chief Justice Warren. "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."
Mildred Loving (nee Jeter), 68 died Friday, May, 2, 2008. Her husband Richard had died in 1975 in a car crash. They had three children Donald, Peggy and Sidney. According to her daughter, Peggy Fortune, Mildred died at home in Milford.
"I want (people) to remember her as being strong and brave yet humble — and believed in love," Fortune told The Associated Press.
For more on the Loving story click here. This June 12 is Loving Day and will be the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court decision. It is celebrated to honor the legalization of interracial marriage.
Interracial Marriage, Love, Loving Day, Marriage, Mildred Jeter, Mildred Loving, Richard Loving in Our World, Racists, news, racism
Reader Comments (2)
What a beautiful post! I had no idea...Thanks!
Ms. Friendly
www.msfriendly.wordpress.com
I am a caucasian woman married to an African American man. I have two mixed kids. My mixed race daughter and I are currently performing several gigs in Chicago in a piece we wrote ourselves called Mixing It Up. We also performed for the Loving Decision Conference held in Chicago in 2007. You can see a sample of the piece on You Tube (search for Mixing It Up Mother) We use some of the Loving Decision information in our show. I did not even know about this court case until I started writing the show even tho I have been in two interracial marriages. So I really believe it is important to put the info out there, especially now that Obama is President! I was saddened to hear about Ms. Loving's passing. God speed to her. She is one of my heroines! Sincerely, Marilyn Campbell