The year was 1958. The clock read 2 hours past midnight, July 11th. Richard and Mildred Loving woke up to the blaring noises of police cars outside the doors of their lovely Virginia home. The newlyweds, who had gotten married just a month before, were being arrested for being in violation of the state of Virginia’s anti-miscegenation law. The night of July 11th marked the Lovings' 9-year long battle against outlawed interracial marriage in Virginia. The Loving case served as an inspiration to many individuals who had not dared to break such societal norms and encouraged a rise in interracial marriage in the United States. The Lovings vs the state of Virginia case impacted the rise in interracial marriage in the late 1990s …show more content…
Because the Lovings’ marriage had been known across the country as it made its way to the Supreme Court, American residents became familiar with their story and fight with the judiciary system of Virginia. The Loving case essentially brought about changes in societal norms and the overall thought process of White Americans. Many studies suggest that Americans grew to be more accepting of interracial marriage over time, “[In 1958] Only 4 percent of whites approved of intermarriage with blacks. Almost 40 years later, in 1997, 67 percent of whites approved of such intermarriage,” (Qian 33). The Loving case ultimately resulted in the change of mindsets across the country. Within just 30 years of the Loving vs Virginia case, the White interracial marriage approval rate increased by more than 60%. Many began to tolerate and even encourage these marriages over time. Additionally, statistics also show that “Between 1970 and 2000s...marriages between whites and members of other races grew almost fivefold from 233 thousand to 1.1 million,” (Qian 33). Not only did society’s views of mixed race marriages with African Americans improve, American society also began to familiarize with intermarriage with people of other backgrounds. Though these views remained stiff for a couple years, they got …show more content…
The Loving v Virginia case continues to impact the United States today, as the case passes its 50-year anniversary. As millions of interracial couples and families are greeted favorably in an appreciative society, the Loving vs Virginia case strives to compete as one of the most significant Supreme Court cases to this day. Richard and Mildred proved that acting on your ideas and beliefs are the stepping stones to changing your life and the lives of those around you. They proved that love knows no race, no ethnicity, and no culture and changed the lives of American citizens