Summary: The Role Of Prohibition In Interracial Marriage

What would someone do if one’s better half had to be separated by law because of the state they lived in? Richard Loving and his “colored” wife Mildred had to go through that same situation when they lived in their home in the state of Virginia while illegally being married. After being kicked out of their home state, Richard and Mildred decided to take their issue to the Supreme Court and later their story becomes an inspirational documentary. While there are many stories out there about illegal intermarriage and its impact on the people, The Lovings act of civil disobedience in illegal marriage played a crucial role in ending the prohibition in interracial marriage in America.
Richard and Mildred Loving lived a simple country life in their home state of Virginia. The two of them grew up in the rural area of Caroline County, Virginia, and fell in love. While he was quiet, and, in public, might appear impolite, she was gentle and soft-spoken. They seemed like the perfect couple, but there was one problem, Mildred had brown skin. Mildred being a "colored" woman, made her off-limits as a marriage partner for Richard in the eyes of the law. Neither Richard's nor Mildred's family saw anything wrong with their relationship. According to one of the family members “ It had been love at first …show more content…
Supreme Court. In the spring of 1967, arguments began over the constitutionality of Virginia miscegenation law. The case was identified as Loving v. Virginia. The justices voted unanimously to strike down Virginia's law, declaring that the "fundamental freedom" of marriage could not be shorten on account of race. The opinion rendered by Chief Justice Earl Warren read: "The freedom to marry has long been recognized as one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness by free men." With the court's ruling, similar laws in fifteen other states eventually would fall. Ending illegal interracial