By: Claire Rudolf Murphy
The Case for Loving by Selina Alko and Sean Qualls The story and illustrations in this book are diverse on so many levels that I wanted to review it for the diversity blog. I first heard about this powerful picture book last spring from our amazing grad Judi Marcin who did so much for diversity during her time in our Hamline MFAC program. I couldn’t wait to read it; especially to see how the writer presented this complicated court case in a way to relate to young readers. Because I am a research nerd, I had already read up on the historic U.S. Supreme Court case featured in the story and watched the documentary online - (www.hbo.com/documentaries/the-loving-story.) But only a few weeks earlier, when it was cited as precedence in the marriage equality court cases being heard in the Supreme Court last spring. |
Before I continue with my diverse thoughts, I’d like to also direct you to Betsy Bird’s thorough and more traditional review on her excellent Fuse Blog: blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2015/07/02/review-of-the-day-the-case-for-loving-by-selina-alko-and-sean-qualls/.
Since Betsy well covers the entire book in her review, I will focus my thoughts today on how this how the writer and illustrator told the complicated story to young readers. The facts: On June 2, 1958, a white man named Richard Loving and his part-black, part-Cherokee fiancée Mildred Jeter got married in Washington, D.C. because at that time interracial marriage was illegal in 21 states, including their home state of Virginia. Back in Virginia two weeks later, the newlyweds were arrested, tried and convicted of the felony crime of miscegenation. To avoid a one-year jail sentence, the Lovings agreed to leave the state; they could return to Virginia, but only separately. Living in exile in D.C. with their children, the Lovings missed their families and longed to return to their rural home. At the advice of her cousin, Mildred wrote a letter to Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, who wrote back, suggesting she get in touch with the American Civil Liberties Union. Two young ACLU lawyers, Bernard S. Cohen and Philip J. Hirschkop, took on their case, fully aware of the challenges posed at a time when many Americans were vehement about segregation and maintaining the "purity of the races." |
A lot to chew on and get upset about. The writer Alko and illustrator Qualls were the perfect team to take this story on because they are a biracial couple themselves with children of their own. What I love about this book is that it brings kids into the story by featuring the biracial children of their marriage on every page. This is something that kids could understand. They could also understand their father’s words, when asked by their attorney what to tell the judges. "Tell the court that I love my wife, and it is unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia." All of us, kids and adults, can understand this. |
What I love about this book is that it brings kids into the story by featuring the biracial children of their marriage on every page. I appreciate the 1966 spread in which Qualls’ illustrations of equality now signs in the background signal a changing nation. And how at the climax, when asked by their attorney what to tell the Supreme Court judges, Richard Loving simply said: "Tell the court that I love my wife, and it is unfair that I can't live with her in Virginia." All of us, kids and adults, can understand just wanting to live and love, can’t we? |
This historic case is an important part of the civil rights movement. I believe that it essential that kids understand how this history affects them today, especially in our increasingly diverse nation. Mildred Loving says it best.
As I was researching the court case, I found lesson plans for high school history students with goals such as:
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Challenging, but important goals. This picture book gets young readers started on a path of empathy and connection to life today. What a gift to us all.