Which case determined that the government could not classify individuals unconstitutionally based on race?

The case that determined the government could not classify individuals unconstitutionally based on race is Loving v. Virginia. This landmark Supreme Court decision, delivered in 1967, invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage. The Court ruled that state bans on interracial marriage violated the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This case was pivotal in articulating that racial classifications imposed by the government are inherently suspect and require the highest level of scrutiny. By striking down anti-miscegenation laws, Loving v. Virginia affirmed the principle that racial discrimination is unconstitutional, marking a significant advancement in civil rights and the recognition of individual liberties.

In contrast, Brown v. Board of Education primarily addressed the segregation of public schools and was a major step toward ending educational discrimination, but Loving directly dealt with the issue of marriage and individual choices. Furman v. Georgia and Roe v. Wade focus on other legal issues—capital punishment and reproductive rights, respectively—rather than racial classifications.