Check out the trailer for HBO’s upcoming documentary “The Loving Story,” about the landmark Loving v. Virginia case that ended interracial marriage bans in the United States in 1967.

Richard Perry Loving, a white man, and Mildred Loving, a black woman, married in Washington DC in 1958 (where interracial marriage was legal at the time), but were arrested as soon as they returned to their native Virginia, where interracial marriage was still illegal.

They were given a one year suspended jail sentence, on the condition that the couple leave Virginia for 25 years.

The judge wrote:

“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And, but for the interference with his arrangement, there would be no cause for such marriage. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.”

Richard and Mildred settled in D.C. and raised three children, but they didn’t take their punishment lying down. Instead, they joined forces with the ACLU and brought their case to the supreme court. In 1967, the supreme court ruled Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act unconstitutional, thereby deeming all bans on interracial marriage unconstitutional in the United States.

“The Loving Story”, premiering at 9PM EST on Valentine’s Day,  tells their remarkable story.

From Clutch Magazine:

“Now, nearly 45 years after the landmark Loving vs. Virginia case, HBO is taking an intimate look at the story of Richard and Mildred Loving with their documentary “The Loving Story.”  Set to air on Valentine’s Day at 9PM, the film “tells the story of Richard and Mildred Loving to examine the drama, the history, and the current state of interracial marriage and tolerance in the United States,” according to the film’s official site.  “The Loving Story” has enjoyed sold-out screenings at festivals and special events and has already won numerous awards and accolades like the Screenplay Award at the ScreenDocs Documentary Festival.”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h62ZBiHNJoM

What do you think of “The Loving Story?”

Sound off below!