Which case struck down bans on interracial marriage?

Which case struck down bans on interracial marriage?

• A. Katzenbach v. Morgan
• B. Obergefell v. Hodges
• C. Grutter v. Bollinger
• D. Loving v. Virginia

Answer: (D)

This question tests knowledge of a landmark ruling that treated marriage as a fundamental liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. In the 1967 case Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court struck down state anti-miscegenation laws that banned interracial marriage. The Court held that marriage is a central, personal right essential to individual dignity, and laws based on race violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses. Because the bans rested on racial classifications and had no legitimate purpose capable of withstanding strict scrutiny, they were unconstitutional. This ruling effectively invalidated interracial marriage bans across the country. For contrast, the other cases involve different issues: one deals with voting rights and literacy tests, another with same-sex marriage, and another with affirmative action in education.

This question tests knowledge of a landmark ruling that treated marriage as a fundamental liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. In the 1967 case Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court struck down state anti-miscegenation laws that banned interracial marriage. The Court held that marriage is a central, personal right essential to individual dignity, and laws based on race violate the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses. Because the bans rested on racial classifications and had no legitimate purpose capable of withstanding strict scrutiny, they were unconstitutional. This ruling effectively invalidated interracial marriage bans across the country.

For contrast, the other cases involve different issues: one deals with voting rights and literacy tests, another with same-sex marriage, and another with affirmative action in education.