State of Minnesota

(Seal) THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

STATE of MINNESOTA
Proclamation

WHEREAS:

Mildred and Richard Loving were an interracial couple who got married in Washington, D.C., in 1958. They were not allowed to marry in their home state of Virginia, where interracial marriage was illegal at the time; and

WHEREAS:

The Lovings were arrested five weeks after their marriage, found guilty of violating the Act to Preserve Racial Integrity, and banned from Virginia for 25 years; and

WHEREAS:

The Loving family did not back down; they took their case to the United States Supreme Court and won, overturning their conviction and creating a landmark civil rights victory; and

WHEREAS:

Their case, Loving v. Virginia (1967), ended all laws prohibiting interracial marriage nationwide; and

WHEREAS:

Loving Day is celebrated on June 12 in communities throughout Minnesota and the United States to commemorate the anniversary of the 1967 Supreme Court decision and spread awareness of issues that interracial couples still face today, uplifting the work to create more inclusive communities; and

WHEREAS:

Minnesota is committed to improving the lives of all people and seeks to end discrimination and eliminate disparities, prioritizing safe and thriving communities; and

WHEREAS:

Minnesota joins other communities to find a common vision from our interwoven past to build a society free of racism for the benefit of our collective future.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM WALZ, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim Thursday, June 12, 2025,
as:

LOVING DAY

in the State of Minnesota.

(Seal) THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 11th day of June.

(Signed) Tim Walz
GOVERNOR

(Signed) Steve Simon
SECRETARY OF STATE