What did Loving v. Virginia (1967) decide?

• A. It established federal authority over state policing.
• B. It struck down laws banning interracial marriage.
• C. It legalized segregation in public schools.
• D. It limited federal civil rights enforcement.

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is that Loving v. Virginia protects the right to marry from racial bans. In 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage violate the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantees of equal protection and due process. The Court held that marriage is a fundamental right, and the state cannot prohibit it or deny spouses the status and protections of marriage solely because of race. This decision struck down anti-miscegenation statutes across the United States, affirming that couples may marry regardless of racial background.

For context, Mildred and Richard Loving challenged Virginia’s law after marrying in a different jurisdiction and returning home, where they faced criminal charges. The ruling reinforced the idea that state restrictions based on race on such a personal decision are unconstitutional.

This isn’t about federal authority over policing, segregation in schools, or limiting federal civil rights enforcement. Those topics relate to other cases or issues. The key takeaway here is that bans on interracial marriage were unconstitutional because they infringed on a fundamental right protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.