On June 12th, 1958, two residents of Virginia, Mildred Jeter, a "Negro" woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, were married in the District of Columbia pursuant to its laws. Shortly after their marriage, they returned to Virginia and established their marital abode in Caroline County. Four months later (in October of 1958) a grand jury (in the Circuit Court of Caroline County) issued an indictment charging the Lovings with violating Virginia's ban on interracial marriages. On January 6, 1959, the Lovings pleaded guilty to the charge and were sentenced to one year in jail; however, the trial judge suspended the sentence for a period of 25 years on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return for 25 years. The trial judge in the case, Leon M. Bazile proclaimed that :
“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix”.
Fortunately, times are changing (within some areas of America). I am proud to know many married interracial generation X and Y couples…including both my daughters! I only have two daughters! As I said…I am proud. Why? Because this issue never appeared on their, or our, radar screen!
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