In Whitney v. Robertson, the Supreme Court of the United States was asked to decide whether a state law that prohibited interracial marriage was constitutional. The case involved a white woman, Mildred Jeter, and a black man, Richard Loving, who were married in the District of Columbia in 1958. The couple then moved to Virginia, where interracial marriage was prohibited by law. The Lovings were arrested and convicted of violating the state law. The Lovings appealed their conviction to the Supreme Court, arguing that the Virginia law violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court agreed, ruling that the Virginia law was unconstitutional. The Court held that the law violated the Equal Protection Clause because it was based on racial discrimination and was not necessary to further any legitimate state interest. The Court also noted that the law was not narrowly tailored to serve any legitimate state interest. The Court's ruling in Whitney v. Robertson was a landmark decision that struck down laws prohibiting interracial marriage in many states. The decision established that laws based on racial discrimination are unconstitutional and that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protects the right of individuals to marry someone of a different race.

In Whitney v. Robertson, the Supreme Court was asked to decide whether a state law that prohibited interracial marriage violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The majority opinion held that such laws were constitutional and did not violate any fundamental rights guaranteed by the amendment. Justice Harlan dissented from this decision, arguing that it denied African Americans their right to equal protection under the law as provided for in both federal and state constitutions. He argued further that prohibiting interracial marriages was an arbitrary exercise of power by states which had no rational basis or justification other than racial prejudice against African Americans. In his dissent, he wrote: "The white race deems itself to be superior...and has legislated so as practically to put into operation its own ideals." Ultimately, Justice Harlan's dissenting opinion failed to sway a majority of justices on this issue; however, it laid important groundwork for future cases involving civil rights issues related to marriage equality and discrimination based on race or ethnicity.