What landmark ruling did Loving v. Virginia establish?

Loving v. Virginia is a pivotal Supreme Court case decided in 1967 that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The ruling found that these bans violated the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. By declaring interracial marriage bans unconstitutional, the Court affirmed that the right to marry is a fundamental freedom, not subject to restrictions based on race. This decision was a significant step toward civil rights and equality, establishing a legal precedent that protected the rights of individuals to choose their partners without racial discrimination and ultimately dismantled the legal framework supporting such bans across the United States.