Fifty years ago, a lawsuit against the state of Virginia worked its way to the Supreme Court. As a result, the court struck down state laws that forbade interracial marriage in June 1967.
University of Lynchburg will host a lecture about the historic civil rights case Loving v. Virginia on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. in Hopwood Auditorium, on the second floor of Hopwood Hall. Virginia Tech history professor Dr. Peter Wallenstein, who has written multiple books related to the case, will present, “Loving v. Virginia: The Lovings’ lived experience, their historical significance, and recent film depictions.”
Dr. Wallenstein is the author of Tell the Court I Love My Wife: Race, Marriage and Law – An American Story and Race, Sex, and the Freedom to Marry: Loving v. Virginia.
“As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia invalidating state laws banning interracial marriage, it is important that we both celebrate how far we’ve come in overturning Virginia’s racist past and remain vigilant in the future,” said Dr. Brian Crim, a University of Lynchburg history professor.
Dr. Crim is sponsoring the lecture as the John M. Turner Distinguished Chair in the Humanities.
