64. THE LOVING STORY

mildred and richard loving married in june of 1958, in washington, dc, and returned to their rural farm community in virginia.  a month later, they were awakened to flashlights in their faces and arrested.  the crime?  she was mixed race of black and native american; he was white.  interracial marriages were banned by 24 states at the time.  after sentencing, they were exiled from the state of virginia.  they could return separately to visit family, but could not live together.  the couple were deeply in love.  the local community had little racial tension at the time and richard had many black friends.  farm girl mildred just couldn't accommodate to living and raising her children in the city.  with hope dwindling, she wrote to then attorney general, bobby kennedy, who referred her to the aclu.  her case was addressed by 2 young, jewish lawyers, not long out of school.  their case was a criminal case in the state of virginia, but the lawyers would soon resolve it to be a civil rights issue.  the case eventually was heard by the u.s. supreme court.  loving vs virginia struck down anti-miscegenation laws in all the states.  a narrative by the local judge was used as prime fodder in the case.  he had written that god created all the colors of people and put them on different continents because god didn't want or allow mixing of the races.  it took 9 years until the case was resolved.  the lovings and their 3 children  lived secretly in virginia for much of that time.  the film combines video footage, photographs taken by a life magazine photographer, and current interviews from some of those involved.  we see a couple truly in love, 3 happy children, family and friends deeply supportive of the couple, and 2 young lawyers involved in the case of their lifetimes while still fresh in their careers.  in the end, richard probably said it best, as he gave a quote to his attorneys that they relayed to the supreme court justices.  "i love my wife and i want to live with her".  very simple.