Virginia Is for Lovers — and Always Has Been

October 26, 2025

I woke up this morning, with so many thoughts on my mind, reflecting on everything happening around us. Lately, I’ve been thinking about our state motto: “Virginia is for Lovers.”

With everything going on, I asked myself: Where is the love? When did we have it? And how do we find our way back to it?

Then it hit me — “Virginia is for Lovers” wasn’t chosen at random. It wasn’t just a catchy slogan; it was born from intention — from the very spirit of love that once saved our Commonwealth. This motto was born out of our landmark case, Loving v. Virginia.

Loving v. Virginia was one of the most pivotal cases of the Civil Rights Movement. It was more than a story about one couple. It was about the right to love, to exist freely, and to find happiness together.

Loving v. Virginia isn’t only a case about perseverance, not only a case about freedom, and not only a case about civil liberties; it is a case about love and a case about belonging.

The plaintiffs, Mildred Jeter Loving and Richard P. Loving, married in Washington, D.C. to evade Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act of 1924, which made interracial marriage illegal in Virginia. A few weeks after their return to Caroline County, Virginia, in the early morning hours police raided their home, found their marriage certificate on the wall, and arrested them for marrying interracially. They were convicted, handed a one-year prison sentence suspended on the condition that they leave the state, exiled from their home. After years of legal struggle, their case reached the United States Supreme Court. As their lawyer Bernard S Cohen reported, Richard Loving said, “Mr. Cohen, tell the Court I love my wife, and it is just unfair that I can’t live with her in Virginia.” In 1967 the Court issued a unanimous decision striking down laws banning interracial marriage, holding that they violated both the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. (Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967)

It was love that moved Mildred and Richard Loving — love for each other, love for their home, and love for the life they would build here in their community. That love is what pushed them forward. And it was that same love — the desire to bring their family back home to Virginia — that gave rise to our Commonwealth’s defining words.

That’s when I realized: Virginia is for Lovers because of Loving v. Virginia.

As in times past, we face difficult decisions. During these moments, I must emphasize the importance of loving one another and embracing who we are. Love, Kindness, and Courage are what we must practice and preach every day. With looming elections, challenging decisions, and growing division, we must remember these truths. I want to tie it back with a Bible Quote, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son”. Let us remind ourselves that when we think and act with love first, we embody the sanctity of the human spirit. And let us never forget: Virginia is a place for everyone. As former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger reminds us, “Virginia is a welcoming home to all families.” Let that truth ring loud and clear now more than ever.

Loving saved Virginia before—and love will save Virginia again.