“The Loving Story,” a documentary about the marriage that spurred the landmark Supreme Court decision that rendered laws against interracial marriage unconstitutional, will be shown from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Ron Robinson Theater in downtown Little Rock.
Dr. Barclay Key, assistant professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, will lead a community discussion about topics that surface in the documentary. Key will be joined by panelists Dr. Jay Barth, M.E. and Ima Graves Peace Distinguished Professor of Politics at Hendrix College and member of Arkansas Board of Education, and Assistant Professor Anastasia Boles of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law.
Register for the event at createdequal/registration.
In 1958, when Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter were married, 24 states, including Arkansas, still prohibited interracial marriage. The couple was arrested and exiled from Virginia. 
According to Key, through interviews with the couple and residents in their rural community, ”viewers will find vivid glimpses into the lives of this rural Virginia couple who, more than anything else, simply wanted to live at home in peace.”
UALR’s Center for Arkansas History and Culture presents “The Loving Story,” as part of its “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” film series, a nationwide initiative made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.
CAHC launched the year-long film series earlier this year during Black History Month. The center partnered with the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site to select a variety of locations for the screenings of the four documentaries featured in the series.
The series will conclude at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18, with the showing of the film, “Freedom Riders” at UALR’s Stella Boyle-Smith Concert Hall. Following the film, Dr. John A. Kirk, Donaghey Distinguished Professor and Chair of the history department, will lead a community discussion.
The films, “The Abolitionists” and “Slavery by Another Name” were shown during the spring semester.
“Freedom Riders” received an Emmy in 2012; “The Loving Story” and “The Abolitionists” were nominated for Emmys in 2013.
For more information, go to ualr.edu/cahc/createdequal.
About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in the teaching and learning of American history. Programs include publications, teacher seminars, a national Affiliate School Program, traveling exhibitions, and online materials for teachers, students, and the general public.
About the National Endowment for the Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities. NEH grants enrich classroom learning, create and preserve knowledge, and bring ideas to life through public television, radio, museum exhibitions, and programs in libraries and other community places.
