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Commemorating the life and legacy of Mildred Delores Jeter Loving.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 12, 2026
WHEREAS, Mildred Delores Jeter Loving, known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court of the United States case
Loving v. Virginia
, was a woman of quiet courage and profound dignity whose love transcended the unjust barriers of her time; and
WHEREAS, Mildred Loving was born in Caroline County on July 22, 1939, and grew up in the small community of Central Point, where she and future husband, Richard, were family friends and neighbors, living only a few miles apart; and
WHEREAS, Mildred and Richard Loving married on June 2, 1958, in Washington, D.C., not in their home of Caroline County, in order to evade Virginia's Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which criminalized interracial marriage; and
WHEREAS, on July 11, 1958, just a few weeks after Mildred and Richard Loving's marriage, local police raided their home in the middle of the night, tore the couple from their bed, and criminally charged them with violating the Racial Integrity Act; and
WHEREAS, Mildred and Richard Loving pleaded guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison, which was suspended on the condition that they leave the Commonwealth and not return together for 25 years; and
WHEREAS, Mildred Loving endured exile from her beloved Caroline County home for nearly a decade, separated from her family and community, yet never wavering in her conviction that her marriage was right and just; and
WHEREAS, with remarkable strength and determination, Mildred Loving became the driving force behind a legal challenge that would rewrite the laws of the Commonwealth and the United States; in 1963, seeking to return home, she wrote to United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who referred the case to the American Civil Liberties Union; and
WHEREAS, the
Loving v. Virginia
case made it all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States, culminating on June 12, 1967, in a landmark decision wherein the court ruled unanimously that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional, striking down such laws in 16 states and affirming that marriage is “one of the basic civil rights of man”; and
WHEREAS, after the ruling, Mildred and Richard Loving returned to the Commonwealth and raised their three children, Donald, Peggy, and Sidney, in Caroline County; and
WHEREAS, while the story of
Loving v. Virginia
has been immortalized in books, movies, documentaries, songs, and even an opera, Mildred Loving rarely sought the spotlight, preferring the simple joys of family life, yet she understood the profound impact of her case and spoke out in 2007 in support of marriage equality for all loving couples, saying “I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry.”; and
WHEREAS, Mildred Loving passed away on May 2, 2008, but her courage and commitment to fairness under the law continues to inspire movements for justice, equality, and the fundamental right to love freely and without fear; and
WHEREAS, groups across the country celebrate June 12 as Loving Day to honor the way Mildred Loving helped bend the arc of history toward justice and recognize the ongoing work to ensure that all individuals can enjoy the fundamental right to love and be loved; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the life and legacy of Mildred Delores Jeter Loving hereby be commemorated on the occasion of Loving Day in 2026; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Mildred Delores Jeter Loving as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for her grace, dignity, and contributions to the Commonwealth and the United States.