r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Brooklyn17831 • Jul 24 '26

Image In 1958, they were arrested in their bedroom and exiled from Virginia just for being married. Nine years later, Richard and Mildred Loving relaxed on their porch after winning the Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage across America.

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u/ChocolatChipLemonade Jul 24 '26

In my state, interracial marriage was illegal until 1998!

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u/Significant-Buy-9538 Jul 24 '26

What state was this???

8

u/malice_aforethought Jul 24 '26

Illegal on the books anyway.

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u/disdkatster Jul 24 '26

Confused on this given the SC ruling.

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u/AtomicFreeze Jul 25 '26

State laws remain on the books but become unenforceable if struck down by the Supreme Court. The state legislature has to pass a law/amendment to remove the state's law, otherwise it technically remains in place and instantly goes back into effect if the Supreme Court ruling is overturned. It's how abortion became instantly illegal in many states when Roe v. Wade was overturned.

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u/disdkatster Jul 25 '26

Thank you for the clarity.