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Loving v. Virginia

Definition

Loving v. Virginia was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1967 that ruled state laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional. The decision was a significant victory for civil rights, affirming the principles of equality and privacy under the 14th Amendment.

Analogy

Imagine two different puzzle pieces from separate puzzles that perfectly fit together but are told they cannot connect because they're from different sets. Loving v. Virginia declared that these pieces not only can fit together but have every right to, dismissing the notion that they should be kept apart based on their origin.

Related terms

Civil Rights Act of 1964: A landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

Fourteenth Amendment: An amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1868, granting citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteeing all citizens equal protection of the laws.

Interracial Marriage: A marriage between partners who belong to different races; it became legal across the United States following the Supreme Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia