The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage

Salina Alko’s The Case for Loving—a double entendre on both the famous case Loving v. Virginia, as well as the intimate relationship which the Loving’s fought victoriously to uphold—is an exceptional rendition of the story for children.

Underneath the thoroughly reactionary accusations of “unlawful cohabitation” (i.e., 1924 Racial Integrity Act), Alko exposes a beautiful series of illustrated events spanning the lifetime of the Loving marriage: Richard proposing to Mildred under butterfly hearts, matrimony pictures, children playing, the couple sitting united on the front porch or in mass protest against racial discrimination, injustice, social inequality. These healthy Loving’s acts mock the thoroughly anti-democratic character of these laws in living colors.

Apart from the unique glance at the struggle for basic human and constitutional rights in American history, children also gain the power of reason, argument, and debate with this case before the Supreme Court. They also garner healthy skepticism in human law, witness the pride of those committed to fighting for social equality, and, most importantly, enjoy the freedom to love, as Mildred says, “I support the freedom to marry for all. That’s what Loving, and loving, are all about.”