1998 South Carolina Amendment 4 was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of South Carolina to repeal the state's defunct constitutional ban on interracial marriage. The amendment was symbolic, as interracial marriage had already been legal nationwide since Loving v. Virginia in 1967. The amendment was approved in a 61.95% to 38.05% vote, with every county except Cherokee, Chesterfield, Dillon, Lancaster, Saluda, and Union having a majority vote in favor.
Shall Section 33, Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended by deleting the following sentence from the Constitution: 'The marriage of a white person with a Negro or mulatto, or person who shall have one-eighth or more of Negro blood, shall be unlawful and void'.
In 1998, at the time of repeal, South Carolina was the second-to-last state to have a defunct ban on interracial marriage; the final state to repeal its ban was Alabama in 2000.[2]
Bill 4303 from the 112th Session, 1997-1998 of the South Carolina General Assembly placed the question on the ballot. The bill received 99 votes in favor and 4 votes against in the State House.[3]
Viewpoints
Legislators
State Rep. James "Bubba" Cromer primarily viewed the measure as an effort "to revamp antiquated provisions."
State Rep. Curtis Inabinett said, "We should be beyond this. In years to come, we should at least let history reflect that we did something about it."
State Rep. Dan Cooper voted against the bill and said he feared the ballot measure's wording would confuse voters and "by choice or by accident might vote to leave it there. And if it stays, let's face it, the state will look bad nationally." He personally felt that "people have the right to do what they want to" when stating his feelings on the topic.[4]
Contents
The following question and explanation was shown to voters under Amendment 4:
"Shall Section 33, Article III of the Constitution of this State be amended by deleting the following sentence from the Constitution: 'The marriage of a white person with a Negro or mulatto, or person who shall have one-eighth or more of Negro blood, shall be unlawful and void'.
Yes []
No []
Those voting in favor of the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'Yes', and those voting against the question shall deposit a ballot with a check or cross mark in the square after the word 'No'."
Explanation of above: This amendment, if approved, will remove the part of the Constitution that makes marriage between whites and blacks illegal.[5]
↑ Pressley, Sue Anne (3 November 1998). "SOUTH CAROLINA'S RACIAL RELIC". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 26 July 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
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