Interracial marriage bans, also known as anti-miscegenation laws, were regulations that prohibited marriages between individuals of different racial backgrounds. These laws were historically used to prevent marriages between Black individuals and individuals of other racial or ethnic groups, particularly White people.

In the United States, many states had laws that explicitly banned interracial marriages, with the last of these laws being struck down by the Supreme Court in the landmark case Loving v. Virginia in 1967. This case involved Mildred and Richard Loving, a Black woman and a White man who were sentenced to prison in Virginia for violating the state's anti-miscegenation law. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that these laws were unconstitutional and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Interracial marriage bans were part of a larger system of racial segregation and discrimination in the United States, designed to uphold notions of White supremacy and racial purity. These laws were used to reinforce barriers between racial groups and enforce social hierarchies based on race.

The repeal of anti-miscegenation laws in the United States represented a significant step towards ending legal discrimination against interracial couples and recognizing the rights of individuals to marry whomever they choose, regardless of race. The Loving v. Virginia decision was a pivotal moment in the struggle for civil rights and racial equality in the United States.