Loving v. Virginia

US_miscegenation

Earl_Warren

Graves_of_Mildred_and_Richard_Loving

Loving v. Virginia was a landmark civil rights decision of the United States Supreme Court, which invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The case was decided on June 12, 1967, and is considered a significant victory for the Civil Rights Movement.

Background

Mildred Loving, a woman of African-American and Native American descent, and Richard Loving, a white man, were residents of Virginia. They married in 1958 in Washington, D.C., where interracial marriage was legal, but upon returning to Virginia, they were arrested and charged with violating the state's anti-miscegenation statutes.

Legal Proceedings

The Lovings were convicted and sentenced to one year in prison, with the sentence suspended on the condition that they leave Virginia and not return together for 25 years. The Lovings moved to Washington, D.C., and in 1963, they filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Virginia's anti-miscegenation laws.

Supreme Court Decision

The case eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United States, which unanimously ruled in favor of the Lovings. The Court held that Virginia's anti-miscegenation statutes violated both the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Impact

The decision in Loving v. Virginia struck down laws banning interracial marriage in 16 states. It was a significant step forward in the fight for racial equality and civil rights in the United States.

Related Pages

• Civil Rights Movement
• Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
• Equal Protection Clause
• Due Process Clause
• Supreme Court of the United States
• Anti-miscegenation laws