Loving Day

What is Loving Day?

Loving Day is celebrated around the world every year on June 12th. While everyone is welcome to celebrate, interracial couples, multiracial families, people of mixed race, and transracially adopted people can find the day to be of special significance.

Mildred and Richard Loving’s love story and impact on racial justice are remembered in Loving Day celebrations. The Loving Day website not only offers ways you can celebrate the day but also information on the case, ways to get involved, and resources for interracial couples.

Who are the Lovings and why do they have a day named after them?

Mildred Delores Jeter and Richard Perry Loving both grew up in Virginia where marriage between interracial couples was against the law. In 1958, the Lovings fell in love and decided to get married. They traveled to Washington, D.C., and were legally married there before returning home.

Unbeknownst to them, doing so was breaking another law. At the time, not only was it illegal for them to get married in Virginia, but it was also illegal to visit another state to get married and then return to Virginia.

A few weeks after their marriage in 1958, the police entered the Lovings’ home and arrested them both. Since their marriage was considered a crime, it was punishable by one to five years in prison. In the end, Judge Leon M. Bazile sentenced them to one year in prison but offered them the chance to avoid prison time if they moved out of Virginia and would not return for 25 years. The Lovings moved to Washington D.C., considering this a better option than prison.

Far away from their families and the rural life they were accustomed to, their life in Washington D.C. was filled with its own set of issues. In 1963, as the nation discussed a civil rights bill and the March on Washington, Mildred decided to take action.

Following contact with U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy and the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lovings met their lawyer Bernard S. Cohen. Initially, Cohen fought the Lovings' case alone before Philip H. Hirschkop joined him a year later. Hirschkop and Cohen never charged the Lovings for their services.

The case, known as Loving v. Virginia (1967), reached the US Supreme Court where Cohen and Hirschkop argued that these laws were based on slavery laws and were intended to oppress Black people. Almost nine years after the Lovings were arrested, the case concluded on June 12th, 1967. A unanimous Supreme Court ruled to strike down racist laws against interracial marriage and relationships. Loving v. Virginia resulted not only in a victory for the Loving family, but for many families across the country as well.

Loving Day in Today's World

Since Loving v. Virginia was decided on June 12th, this day is celebrated annually as Loving Day. The decision signifies a step towards racial justice, along with an impactful moment in the civil rights movement.

By fighting against the injustices they experienced, the Lovings stood up for themselves and for so many others. This case is part of a long history of racism and a reminder to continue opposing the structural injustices and racist ideologies that are still prevalent today.

Loving Day commemorates a landmark court decision for interracial marriage and is celebrated worldwide as an awareness, education, and community day.

To learn more about Loving Day, additional information and resources can be found on the Loving Day website.