Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

The case for loving: The fight for interracial marriage

Mildred and Richard Loving wanted to love each other with freedom without having to be legally limited by where they lived as husband and wife based on the color of their skin. Marriages between people of different races were against the law in 17 states. In those states, interracial marriage was illegal. So Mildred and Richard got married in Washington DC then moved to Virginia where their marriage certificate hung on the wall of their home. The police did not honor the certificate so the Lovings were taken away and locked up in jail. They moved away from their families back to Washington DC where they had three children. The Lovings took their case all the way to the Supreme Court and won on June 12, 1967. Richard had his courageous message read aloud in court. The message was: "Tell the court I love my wife and it is just unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia". From that day, it was unconstitutional to make marriage a crime because of race.

Alko, Selina

Arthur A. Levine Books

2015

978-0-545-47853-3

New York

Abstract provided by Valerie Ubbes, 2023