The Loving Couple That Were Arrested For Being Married

In the small, quiet town of Central Point, Virginia, no one could have guessed that a humble couple would spark one of the most significant legal battles in American history. But that’s exactly what happened when Mildred Delores Jeter and Richard Loving defied Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage in the 1950s, setting the stage for the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia. Their story, continues to resonate today, and it all began in the most unassuming way.

Mildred was born on July 22, 1939, in a community where people of different ethnic backgrounds lived alongside each other. Her heritage was a mix of African American, European, and Native American ancestry. With her tall, slender frame, she earned the nickname ‘String Bean’ from her classmates, though she was a shy and gentle soul. Attending an all-Black school, she wasn’t expecting to fall in love with someone like Richard Loving, a white high school student from the same town. Initially, Mildred found Richard to be somewhat arrogant — a bit of a “know-it-all,” she’d later recall with a smile. Yet, as fate would have it, they became inseparable.

Their relationship blossomed, and when Mildred found out she was pregnant at 18, the couple decided it was time to make their union official. There was only one problem: Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act prohibited interracial marriages. Undeterred, they drove to Washington, D.C., where such laws didn’t exist. After saying their vows, they returned home to Virginia, eager to start their life as husband and wife.

But their happiness was short-lived. In the early hours of July 11, 1958, sheriff's deputies burst into their home, acting on an anonymous tip. The officers found the couple asleep in their bed and arrested them, despite the Lovings pointing to their marriage certificate hanging proudly on the wall. It didn’t matter — the state of Virginia saw their marriage as illegal, and they were charged with "cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth." They were sentenced to one year in prison, suspended for 25 years on the condition that they leave the state and never return.

Reluctantly, the Lovings moved to Washington, D.C., but it was never home for them. Their family, friends, and entire lives were back in Virginia, and the separation from their roots weighed heavily on them. Despite the risks, the couple made secret visits to Virginia and, after several years, even moved back. They lived in fear of being discovered, but by 1963, they had had enough.

The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum, and Mildred, inspired by the hope of change, wrote a letter to Attorney General Robert Kennedy, asking for help. Kennedy, in turn, advised her to reach out to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and so began their legal fight.

The case of Loving v. Virginia moved slowly through the courts, with each defeat only strengthening the Lovings' resolve. Lawyers Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop eventually took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court, where it was argued on April 10, 1967. Virginia’s defence, rooted in the belief that interracial marriage would lead to societal problems, was starkly contrasted by the Lovings' simple plea. The case boiled down to one fundamental issue: the right to love freely and equally, regardless of race.

Richard Loving, never one for legal jargon or lengthy speeches, told his lawyers to "Tell the court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.” That heartfelt statement, along with the legal argument that Virginia’s ban violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, won the day.

On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court struck down Virginia’s law in a unanimous decision. Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote that the law was “directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment” and deprived citizens of their liberty “without due process of law.” For the Lovings, it meant they could finally live openly, without fear, in their home state.

While the world celebrated the ruling, Mildred and Richard returned to the life they had always wanted — a simple, quiet life together. Mildred was never one for the spotlight, preferring to keep her privacy intact, but she continued to support marriage equality in the years that followed. She later reflected on the case, saying, “What happened, we really didn’t intend for it to happen. What we wanted, we wanted to come home.”

The Lovings' story ended in tragedy when Richard was killed in a car accident on June 29, 1975, when his car was hit by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. Mildred, who was also in the car, lost sight in her right eye.

An unofficial holiday honouring the Lovings’ triumph and multiculturalism, called Loving Day, is celebrated on June 12th, when the prohibition against mixed-race marriages was lifted from every state constitution.

Although Mildred rarely gave interviews following the conclusion of her historic case, she told a reporter in 1992 that she never expected to become such a notable public figure. “What happened,” she said, “we really didn’t intend for it to happen. What we wanted, we wanted to come home.”

Still, she went on to become a staunch supporter of marriage equality in all forms and her case eventually even helped to pave the way for the legalisation of marriage equality for LGBTQ individuals.

On June 12, 2007, Mildred issued a statement on the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court decision

She concluded:

My generation was bitterly divided over something that should have been so clear and right. The majority believed that what the judge said, that it was God's plan to keep people apart, and that government should discriminate against people in love. But I have lived long enough now to see big changes. The older generation's fears and prejudices have given way, and today's young people realize that if someone loves someone they have a right to marry.

Surrounded as I am now by wonderful children and grandchildren, not a day goes by that I don't think of Richard and our love, our right to marry, and how much it meant to me to have that freedom to marry the person precious to me, even if others thought he was the "wrong kind of person" for me to marry. I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people's religious beliefs over others. Especially if it denies people's civil rights.

I am still not a political person, but I am proud that Richard's and my name is on a court case that can help reinforce the love, the commitment, the fairness, and the family that so many people, black or white, young or old, gay or straight seek in life. I support the freedom to marry for all. That's what Loving, and loving, are all about.

Mildred died of pneumonia on May 2, 2008, in Milford, Virginia, at age 68. Her daughter, Peggy Loving Fortune, said, "I want [people] to remember her as being strong and brave, yet humble—and believ[ing] in love."

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