The Supreme Court Case Of Loving Vs Virginia In 1967

Interracial marriage has been regarded a negative action since the precolonial period. Whites weren’t allowed to marry Native Americans, African-Americans, and Asians. Especially in the Southern states, they didn’t permit interracial marriage to be legal. Interracial marriage was prohibited in many states during the 1880’s to 2007 due to legislations and societal standards. One state that took immediate action to interracial marriage was California. They extended their 1850 Marriage Regulation Act to include Mongolians (Chinese, Japanese, Koreans) in 1901 and in 1933, it further extended to include Malays (Filipino). When California allowed many Chinese men to enter, these men weren’t allowed to marry white women which limited their love

The Supreme Court Case of Loving v. Virginia in 1967 was widely known because it helped to set a better future for interracial marriages. On July 11, 1958, newlyweds Richard and Mildred Loving were asleep in bed when three armed police officers burst into their room. The couple were hauled from their house and thrown into jail for their marriage. At that time, 24 states across the country had laws strictly prohibiting marriage between people of different races. In order to evade Virginia’s Racial Integrity Act, the pair had traveled to Washington, D.C. for the ceremony. Upon their return to Virginia, they were arrested and found guilty, with the judge informing Mildred that “as long as you live you will be known as a felon.” The Lovings moved to the relative safety of Washington, but longed to return to their home state. In 1963, they approached the American Civil Liberties Union to fight their case in court. After an extensive legal battle, the Supreme Court ruled that laws prohibiting interracial marriage were unconstitutional in June of 1967. Although such laws officially remained on the books in several states, the Lovings’ landmark victory ensured nobody else would have to endure the same