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Richard and Mildred Loving at their home in Central Point, Va., with their
children, from left, Peggy, Donald and Sidney, in 1967
In June.12. 2007, on the 51
anniversary of the Supreme Court's
decision in Loving, Mildred Loving issued a statement that said
I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex,
no matter their sexual orientation,
should have that same freedom to marry ... 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 Delores Loving (née Jeter; July 22, 1939 May 2, 2008)
was the daughter of
Musial (Byrd) Jeter and The Oliver Jeter.
Mildred's racial identity has been a point of confusion. She has
been noted as self-identifying as Indian Rappahannock, but was
also reported as being of Cherokee, Portuguese, and
African American ancestry. During the trial, it seemed clear that she
identified herself as black, especially as
far as her own lawyer was
concerned. However, upon her arrest, the police
report identifies
her as "Indian." She said in a 2004 interview,
"I have no black ancestry.
it was seen at the time of her arrest as advantageous to be
"anything but black." There was an ingrained history in the state
of the denial of African ancestry. Additionally, the frequent racial mixing
of Central Point, where she lived, could have contributed to this idea
of fluid racial identity. Mildred was known as a quiet and humble
woman.
She was born and raised in the same rural Virginia community
as her husband, Richard.
Richard
Perry Loving (October 29, 1933 June 29, 1975) was a
white man, and the son of Lola (Allen) Loving and Twillie Loving.
He was a construction worker. The 1830 census marks Lewis Loving,
Richards paternal ancestor, as having owned seven slaves. Richards
grandfather, T.P. Farmer, fought for the Confederacy in the
Civil War.
Their families both lived in Caroline County, Virginia. The county adhered to
strict Jim Crow segregation laws but Central Point had been a visible
mixed race community since the 19th century. Richards father worked
for
one of the wealthiest black men in the county for 25 years.
Richards closest companions were black, including those he
drag raced with and Mildreds older
brothers. The couple met in
high school and fell in love. Richard moved into the Jeter household
when Mildred became pregnant.
After the
Supreme Court case, the couple moved back to Central Point,
where Richard built
them a house. The couple had three
children: Donald, Peggy, and Sidney. Richard Loving died aged
41 in 1975, when a drunk driver struck his car in Caroline County,
Virginia. Mildred Loving lost her right eye in the same accident.
She died of pneumonia on May 2, 2008, in her home in
Central Point, aged 68.
some information and photos being used under the fair used copy right laws
some of them here ,
https://www.history.com/news/mildred-and-richard-the-love-story-that-changed-america
