A LETTER FROM DUCHESS In 1961 Ann Dunham got married in Hawaii Dunham was a white woman She married a man from Kenya The marriage was legal in Hawaii But some states outlawed interracial marriage then Dunham later gave birth to Barack Obama future US president Three years earlier another interracial couple had also married Their names were Richard and Mildred Loving They were arrested in Virginia for breaking the state's interracial marriage laws The judge gave them a choice They could go to jail for one year or leave Virginia They chose to leave the state But they later brought their case to court In 1967 the Lovings won a case in the US Supreme Court The court's ruling struck down interracial marriage bans throughout the country This book explores the lives and legacy of the Lovings Join me on a journey that tells the story of the promise of love and the promise of freedom duchess harris 4
5 Mildred Loving left and Richard Loving right were arrested just weeks after they married
CHAPTER ONE 6
MR AND MRS LOVING newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving lay asleep in bed At two o'clock in the morning they awoke to loud knocking The door burst open A sheriff and two deputies rushed in The sheriff pointed a flashlight at their faces The sheriff asked Richard what he was doing in bed with Mildred Mildred pointed at their marriage license on the dresser She explained that she was his wife The sheriff replied that the couple could not be husband and wife in Virginia The date was July 11 1958. The place was Central Point Virginia The officers had been Mildred and Richard Loving married in 1958 7
