Library of Virginia celebrates Black History Month with Virginia Opera collaboration

RICHMOND, Va. — The Library of Virginia is celebrating Black History Month with two events in collaboration with Virginia Opera centered around Loving v. Virginia.

Richard and Mildred Loving were a Virginia couple whose marriage in 1958 in Washington, D.C. led to their arrest when they returned home to Central Point, Virginia.

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"Because they were a mixed couple, they took their case all the way to the US Supreme Court," Catherine Fitzgerald Wyatt, the library's education and outreach manager, said. "And in 1967, the Supreme Court ruled in Loving v. Virginia, that states could not ban racial marriages. This was a landmark ruling in the civil rights movevent in America."

There will be a legal panel discussion on the case on Wednesday, Feb. 26.

The second event on Wednesday, March 5 from 2 to 3 p.m. is an opportunity to see the Loving v. Virginia Opera before it premieres in Richmond later this year. The Opera, with music by Damien Geter and a libretto by Jessica Murphy Moo, is co-commissioned by the Richmond Symphony and Virginia Opera.

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A sneak peek from a workshop performance last May showcases Flora Hawk, who plays the part of Mildred Loving, singing the aria “Lullaby” in the upcoming premiere.

"We'll be featuring a performance of the Loving community and educational touring programs, commissioned by Virginia Opera, including excerpts from the Loving v. Virginia Opera," Wyatt said.

Both programs will be at the Library of Virginia and, even though the programs are free, registration is suggested in advance on the Library’s website.

You can also catch a performance of Loving v. Virginia on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Chesterfield Baptist Church and Virginia Opera’s performances in Richmond will be Friday, May 9 through Sunday, May 11, the details are on VAopera.org/loving-v-virginia/.

And learn the art of Flamenco dance this weekend, an event created by Dhol Tuason and Kevin LaMarr Jones’ Claves Unidos. Choreographer Miguel Vargas will lead two workshops at the Richmond Academy of Ballet on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets can be found on their Facebook page.

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