By Michele Lomax
For some February is the month of romance and love as we celebrate Valentine’s Day. For others, it’s a time of remembrance and acknowledgment as we celebrate Black History Month. For many across the globe, this time in our lives marks the celebration of individuality, choice and perseverance, in the face of racism, sexism, intolerance and violence. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down laws across the United States that banned interracial marriage. A beautiful tribute of this historical case is told in the movie Loving. Directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Joel Edgerton and Oscar nominee Ruth Negga, the film recounts the true story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the husband and wife who challenged Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws and won a historic Supreme Court decision in 1967. Although I knew the history of anti-miscegenation laws, I was still blown away by the notion that had it not been for that case, I might not have grown into the woman I am today as just a few years prior, it would have been illegal for my interracial parents to be together.
Mildred and Richard Loving