Civil Rights Figure. A 1967 United States Supreme Court Ruling on a case involving his marriage to Mildred Jeter led to the striking down of all state laws that banned and criminalized interracial marriage. On June 2, 1958, Richard Loving, a white man, married Mildred Jeter, a black woman. Their wedding took place in Washington, DC because their home state, Virginia, had a law prohibiting inter-racial marriages. They returned to Caroline County, Virginia and were arrested, as their union violated Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924. In 1959 they plead guilty and were given a one year suspended sentence under the condition that they leave Virginia and not return for 25 years. In 1963 they challenged the law and in March of 1966, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the law. On June 12, 1967, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled the law unconstitutional. Because of this ruling, (Loving v. Virginia) the 16 states which still had anti-miscegenation laws on their books were forced to repeal them. Richard Loving was killed when his car was struck by another vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver who ran a stop sign. His wife lost her right eye in the same accident.

Civil Rights Figure. A 1967 United States Supreme Court Ruling on a case involving his marriage to Mildred Jeter led to the striking down of all state laws that banned and criminalized interracial marriage. On June 2, 1958, Richard Loving, a white man, married Mildred Jeter, a black woman. Their wedding took place in Washington, DC because their home state, Virginia, had a law prohibiting inter-racial marriages. They returned to Caroline County, Virginia and were arrested, as their union violated Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924. In 1959 they plead guilty and were given a one year suspended sentence under the condition that they leave Virginia and not return for 25 years. In 1963 they challenged the law and in March of 1966, the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the law. On June 12, 1967, the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled the law unconstitutional. Because of this ruling, (Loving v. Virginia) the 16 states which still had anti-miscegenation laws on their books were forced to repeal them. Richard Loving was killed when his car was struck by another vehicle operated by an intoxicated driver who ran a stop sign. His wife lost her right eye in the same accident.

Bio by: Eamonn