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Historical marker commemorating the Lovings to be unveiled

Posted by Sidney, 11 May

Remember the infamous Loving couple? The couple at the center of the Loving v. Virginia Supreme court case of 1967?

Well, besides having a film in their name, they are being honored in Caroline next month with a historical marker. This is meant to mark the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Cort ruling that ended the ban on interracial marriage in the U.S.

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The dedication ceremony unveiling the marker will take place at the Lovings home county on June 2. This date was approved by the Caroline Board of Supervisors. The marker will be unveiled at U.S. 301 near Sparta Road. This road takes us to the place where Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were raised, met, and fell in love,

Now, you might be wondering why it is happening this year seeing as the 50th anniversary if the Loving v. Virginia ruling was last year. The dedication had been planned for last year but it never took place because the location was changed from Caroline to Richmond 2 weeks before the scheduled date of the event.

Apparently, the Lovings grandson, Mark Loving, raised concerns that his grandma would object to the marker describing her racial identity as mixed black and Native American heritage.

Below is the wording of the marker that was approved last year:

“Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, of different racial backgrounds, grew up near Central Point, 11 miles east of here. They fell in love and in June 1958 were married in Washington, D.C. After returning to Central Point, they were arrested for violating the state’s laws against interracial marriage, which made it a felony for interracial couples to leave Virginia, marry, and resume residence in the state. The Lovings were convicted in 1959 at the Caroline County courthouse. The case reached the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, which in 1966 upheld the state’s laws. In 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Loving v. Virginia overturned all laws prohibiting interracial marriage.”

Anyway, the daughter, Peggy Loving Fortune was disappointed that the marker wasn't placed at Caroline as earlier planned last year. Caroline supervisors voted to place a duplicate where both Richard and Mildred were born and bred... the very place where they went after tying the note. The Governor, Ralph Northam, is expected to attend. So is Peggy Loving Fortune.

1 responses to "Historical marker commemorating the Lovings to be unveiled"

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Paganinifan says:

Posted: 13 May 18

I can’t get over the last names of the men these women married: Grandma married a man with the last name “Lovings” (what a coincidence for a couple who fell in “love” and made the state realize that any two people can fall in love) and then the granddaughter goes on to marry someone with the last name “Fortune”!!!??? What? So now her name is Peggy Loving Fortune. I think we’d all be loving a fortune lol. Sorry, couldn’t look past the names on this story.

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