Listening to Loving

Abstract

Richard and Mildred Loving are widely recognized as revolutionaries of social change, responsible for the landmark civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, which led to the abolition of state laws forbidding mixed-race marriage in America. The Lovings’ act of resistance is often (rightly) viewed as radical, but few scholars have focused specifically on Mildred Loving in particular as a revolutionary figure, because she was soft-spoken and reserved. This paper argues that in her quietness, Loving engaged in a deliberate form of resistance: She fought for her inalienable rights without ever raising her voice. With the assistance of Kevin Quashie’s The Sovereignty of Quiet and Tina Campt’s Listening to Images, this paper examines Mildred Loving as embodying an alternative form of Black activism. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that Mildred Loving’s political success was a result of her commitment to quiet activism. Loving’s quiet resistance is equally—if not more—productive than larger, louder forms of resistance to white supremacy and racism in America, and this form of resistance can be translated for use in our current moment where loud acts of protest often seem like the most effective option for activism and engagement.