NATIONAL LOVING DAY

NATIONAL LOVING DAY

Each year, National Loving Day on June 12 commemorates the anniversary of the 1967 U.S. Supreme Court decision Loving vs. Virginia. This decision struck down all anti-miscegenation laws remaining in sixteen U.S. states. The ruling cited, "There can be no doubt that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violates the central meaning of the equal protection clause."

#NationalLovingDay

Childhood friends, Mildred and Richard, met when she was 11, and he was 17. Over the years, they began courting. In 1958, when Mildred turned 18, the couple married in Washington and returned to their hometown north of Richmond. However, two weeks later, authorities arrested the couple. Mildred and Richard did not realize the state of Virginia viewed interracial marriage as illegal. The Lovings pleaded guilty, and to avoid jail time, they agreed to leave Virginia.

While living in Washington D.C., the Lovings started legal action by writing to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. Kennedy referred the case to the American Civil Liberties Union. The Warren Court unanimously ruled in their favor, and the Lovings returned to their Virginia home, where they resided with their three children.

LEARN ABOUT NATIONAL LOVING DAY

Learn more about the Loving Vs. Virginia Supreme Court decision by reading books, listening to podcasts, or watching documentaries about the case and the events leading to the decision.

• Loving Vs. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case by Patricia Hruby Powell

• The Loving Story (2011)

Show your support on interfacial marriage on social media using the hashtag #NationalLovingDay.

NATIONAL LOVING DAY HISTORY

National Loving Day is inspired by the celebration Juneteenth. Though Juneteenth recognizes freedom from slavery, it also celebrates the perseverance required and the dignity to overcome adversity and achieve fulfillment. Similarly, National Loving Day celebrates interracial relationships and the difficulties interracial couples face every day. While National Loving Day is not yet an officially recognized holiday by the U.S. government, a movement aims to persuade the government to do so.