Loving
The true story of an interracial couple’s historic legal fight in the fifties
Mildred and Perry Loving were an interracial couple living in Virginia who were married in Washington, D.C., in 1958, because Mildred had become pregnant and miscegenation (sex between people of different races) was forbidden in Virginia at that time. Five weeks after they returned to their home in Virginia, police showed up at night while they were asleep, expecting to find them having sex. They were arrested and charged with cohabiting illegally. Sentenced to a year in jail, the couple opted to move to D.C., but were not allowed to return together, even to visit family. With the help of the ACLU, they filed a class action against their home state, and the case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in 1967 to overrule the Loving’s conviction, finding that all laws prohibiting miscegenation or interracial marriage (which were still standing in 16 Southern states and Delaware) violated the U.S. Constitution. The Lovings were vindicated, and the landmark decision is still recognized today on Loving Day, June 12.
Now their story is coming to the big screen, written and directed by Jeff Nichols (Mud; Take Shelter), and starring Australian actor Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby) as Perry Loving and Ruth Negga (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) as Mildred Loving. Michael Shannon costars as Life magazine photographer Grey Villet. Loving is playing in theaters; watch the Focus Features trailer, above.
