Skip to content
ESResources.org
ESR / Immersive Classrooms / Opera: “Loving v. Virginia”

Opera: “Loving v. Virginia”.

African American Studies
View Resources
https://www.damiengetermusic.com/loving-vs-virginia
Opera: “Loving v. Virginia”

About the resource

“It's kind of like a Romeo and Juliet type of situation, except the Montagues and Capulets are the U.S. government" - Composer Damien Geter. "Loving v. Virginia," named after the landmark Supreme Court case, is a production commissioned the Virginia Opera and Richmond Symphony with librettist Jessica Murphey Moo. The 1967 Supreme Court ruling banned anti-miscegenation laws (intermarriage between white people and non-white group) and is widely considered the beginning of the full dismantling of Jim Crow race laws in the United States. The plaintiffs married in DC, where interracial marriage was legal. Shortly after returning to Caroline County, Virginia, to live as husband and wife, the county Sheriff arrested Mildred and Richard in their home. The ruling set a legal precedent that was later used, in 2015, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage in the case Obergefell v. Hodges. Teaching the opera based on this historical event equips students consider how law shapes lived experience and that artists transform historical events into compelling and intentional stories about home, suffering, and belonging. This resource is an interview with the composer.

Related links

Explore the ESResources.org June Educator Bulletin to discover instructional materials for teaching this performance.

Additional Classrooms 16

  • “THE TALK: Instructions for Black Children When They Interact With The Police” | An Opera Production

    “THE TALK: Instructions for Black Children When They Interact With The Police” | An Opera Production

  • Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin'” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

    Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are A-Changin'” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

  • Ruth B. Ginsburg & Louis D. Brandeis, “Justice, justice shall you pursue…” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

    Ruth B. Ginsburg & Louis D. Brandeis, “Justice, justice shall you pursue…” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

  • SUFFS (2025) Full Musical | Tony Award-Winning Performance about the U.S. Suffragist Movement

    SUFFS (2025) Full Musical | Tony Award-Winning Performance about the U.S. Suffragist Movement

  • Emma Lazarus, “Mother of Exiles…I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

    Emma Lazarus, “Mother of Exiles…I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

  • Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Superheroes as Social Commentary – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

    Stan Lee & Jack Kirby, Superheroes as Social Commentary – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

  • Songs for Juneteenth – “Lift Every Voice & Sing,” “Stand Up,” & Others

    Songs for Juneteenth – “Lift Every Voice & Sing,” “Stand Up,” & Others

  • Abzug, Friedan & Steinem, “This Woman’s Place is in the House!” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

    Abzug, Friedan & Steinem, “This Woman’s Place is in the House!” – JAHM Classroom Poster Series (Free Download)

  • “One Last Time”: Hamilton (Original Cast 2016, HD)

    “One Last Time”: Hamilton (Original Cast 2016, HD)

  • Maya Angelou Recites Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” (1851 / 2009)

    Maya Angelou Recites Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I A Woman?” (1851 / 2009)

  • “Monajat” | Multi-Sensory, Cross-Generational Album From the Artists Behind “The Nightingale of Iran”

    “Monajat” | Multi-Sensory, Cross-Generational Album From the Artists Behind “The Nightingale of Iran”

  • “Tom Paine’s Bones” (Graham Moore, 1995) | Remastered by Trials of Cato

    “Tom Paine’s Bones” (Graham Moore, 1995) | Remastered by Trials of Cato

  • “Stand Up” – Official Lyric Video from “HARRIET” | Performed by Cynthia Erivo

    “Stand Up” – Official Lyric Video from “HARRIET” | Performed by Cynthia Erivo

  • Tom Paine’s Bones (Graham Moore, 1995) | Original

    Tom Paine’s Bones (Graham Moore, 1995) | Original

  • Redacted “Slave Bible” (1807)

    Redacted “Slave Bible” (1807)

  • “Liberty Tree” Ballad (1775) by Thomas Paine

    “Liberty Tree” Ballad (1775) by Thomas Paine

Create a free account

Register to download PDFs, use the AI lesson planner and apply for classroom grants. It's free.

Register Sign in