John,

Each year, Black History Month serves as an important time to reflect on, uplift, and learn from the stories of Black Americans. One Virginia story that always stands out to me is the story of Mildred and Richard Loving.

Mildred and Richard Loving, a couple from Caroline County, Virginia, were longtime friends who fell in love. Mildred, a Black woman, and Richard, a white man, lived in Virginia under harsh, strict Jim Crow laws that prohibited interracial marriage.

The couple traveled to nearby Washington, D.C. to get married, but on their return to Virginia, they were arrested and sentenced to jail time. They fled Virginia to evade prosecution and further sentencing. However, in a true act of bravery, the couple challenged Virginia’s law, making it all the way to the Supreme Court. In Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court unanimously decided in favor of the Lovings and overturned such laws that banned interracial marriage nationwide.

Black History Month is a time to uplift and celebrate stories like the Lovings’ and also remember the stories of those who came before them.

Sincerely,
Abigail