The Case for Loving by Selina Alko

Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were in love and wanted o get married. The problem was that Richard was white and Mildred was black and they lived in Virginia in 1958, where it was illegal for them to marry. They traveled to Washington D.C., where it was legal, to get married and then returned to Virginia. Shortly after, they were arrested and put in jail for unlawful cohabitation. They were told they needed to leave Virginia if they wanted to live together.

They moved to Washington D.C. and had three children. However, after a while, they missed Virginia and their families and wanted to return. In 1966, the hired lawyers to help them fight for their right to be a family. In Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Lovings and they were able to build a new life together in Virginia.

This historical picture book is artistically and beautifully constructed. The text tells the story plainly in words children will absolutely understand. To be honest, I had never heard this story before but it is truly compelling.

Also, it is written and illustrated by an interracial married couple, which is pretty cool too! No mention of faith, but this is an excellent resource for families. Because this book is so hard to come by, check your library and if they don’t have it, request they get a copy!

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1. Do you know any mommy and daddy who are different skin colors?
2. Why do you think it was illegal for people of different races to be married?
3. What does God’s word say marriage should be?
4. Does the Bible say anything about people of different races being married?