Questioning Cinema: Loving
Feb. 16, 2017
5 p.m. Screening / 7:15 p.m. Discussion
James Branch Cabell Library, Lecture Hall (Room 303)
In 1958, newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving were found guilty of violating Virginia’s anti-miscegenation statute that banned inter-racial marriage. Living in Washington, isolated from their families and community, they became a test case for the American Civil Liberties Union. In the landmark 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia, later cited in recent same-sex marriage cases, the justices unanimously found that marriage is a basic civil right.
Loving illuminates the importance of the right to marriage and offers an intimate portrayal of the impact of Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws on the Lovings’ relationship and family life. The film celebrates their firm resolve, founded in love, to overcome legal and social challenges.
Discussion leaders are Charles Schmidt, JD, adjunct faculty for VCU Political Science, Director of People’s Law of Richmond and an attorney with ACLU of Virginia, Anne Chapman, adjunct faculty for VCUarts Cinema and Virginia casting director for Loving, Carol M. Shall, Ph.D, an assistant professor in the VCU School of Education, Director of the VCU Autism Center of Excellence and Virginia Autism Resource Center and Mary Townley, Dr. Shall’s wife and co-plaintiff in the 2014 case which struck down Virginia’s same-sex marriage ban, Bostic v. Schaefer.
This event is free and open to all but seating is limited. Please register