Mildred grew up in a small town in Virginia where she fell in love with a man named Richard Loving. Mildred was an African American woman and Richard was a white man, so antimiscegnation laws forbid them from getting married in Virginia (10). They went to Washington to get married legally and came back to Virginia to live. Word spread throughout the town of their marriage and one night in their sleep police came and arrested them. Richard was released with a bond, but Mildred was forced to stay in jail. After leaving jail, the couple was put on probation with an agreement to leave Virginia (12). The Lovings resided in Washington raising a family for many years, but Mildred missed Virginia where all her family was (13). Mildred sent a letter to Attorney General Richard F. Kennedy about her desire to move back to Virginia. Kennedy referred her to Brian Cohen, who later became the Lovings’ lawyer. The Loving case went through many branches of government and finally reached the Supreme Court in 1967, where the Lovings won (15). The Loving case became part of the civil rights movement and the couple became activists through their fight for interracial marriage laws. Not many people know about Mildred Loving and her struggle for equality. Although, Mildred may not have ever considered herself a feminist, I believe she was a feminist that should be recognized. Because of her, woman in the United States are free to be in a relationship with whomever they choose no matter what the race or ethnic background is. I want to personally thank Mildred Loving for her brave fight, because I am a product of an interracial couple and am in an interracial relationship myself. Without her, me and many other biracial individuals would not be here today!

Sources:
Newbeck, Phyl. Virginia Hasn't Always Been For Lovers: Interracial marriage bans and
the case of Richard and Mildred Loving. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UP, 2000.