Which case invalidated interracial marriage bans nationwide?

Which case invalidated interracial marriage bans nationwide?

• A. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)
• B. Loving v. Virginia (1967)
• C. Fisher v. University of Texas (2013)
• D. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Answer: (B)

Interracial marriage is treated as a fundamental right, and laws that ban it fail strict scrutiny because they discriminate based on race. In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court struck down state anti-miscegenation laws as unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that the freedom to marry is a vital civil right and that racial classifications in marriage serve no legitimate governmental interest, so these bans cannot stand. The decision effectively invalidated such laws across the country, not just in the state involved. This case stands in contrast to the other listed cases, which tackle racial considerations in education rather than marriage. Grutter v. Bollinger and Fisher v. University of Texas address affirmative action in college admissions, and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke concerns racial quotas in admissions.

Interracial marriage is treated as a fundamental right, and laws that ban it fail strict scrutiny because they discriminate based on race. In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court struck down state anti-miscegenation laws as unconstitutional under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that the freedom to marry is a vital civil right and that racial classifications in marriage serve no legitimate governmental interest, so these bans cannot stand. The decision effectively invalidated such laws across the country, not just in the state involved.

This case stands in contrast to the other listed cases, which tackle racial considerations in education rather than marriage. Grutter v. Bollinger and Fisher v. University of Texas address affirmative action in college admissions, and Regents of the University of California v. Bakke concerns racial quotas in admissions.