Imagine if you were told that you had to use a different water fountain, sit in a separate part of a bus, or attend a difffferent school just because of how you look. It sounds familiar, stories that some still living have lived and stories that were passed down through generations.
It was the reality for many Black Americans after the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which made segregation legal under the idea of “separate but equal.” Even though this ruling was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, its effects can still be seen today. Issues like unfair school funding, housing discrimination, and unequal treatment in the justice system show that racial inequality didn’t just disappear. Plessy v. Ferguson set a legal precedent that allowed segregation to last for decades, and its impact is still felt today about justice and equality.
Plessy vs Ferguson was a United States Supreme Court case that challenged the14th Amendments. The initial incident took place in 1892 when Homer Adolph Plessy, intentionally violated Louisiana’s Separate Car Act that had just been put into place two years prior. Plessy was considered an octoroon meaning he was only 1/8th African American; however, under Louisiana’s laws he was still considered African American. Plessy’s lawyers defended his case by stating that the Separate Car Act was unconstitutional due to the 14th Amendments; unfortunately, Plessy lost his trail and had to pay a $25 fine. However, he did not give up his case and decided to appeal his case to the United States Supreme Court who agreed to take on the case.
In 1890, the state of Louisiana passed the Separate Car Act, it required for Black to be accommodated separately as far as railway cars were concerned. A group of New Orleans residents came together decided to fight the law that had been put into place. Homer Adolph Plessy was elected to be the one to “break the law”. Agreeing to take the fall on June 7th, 1892, Plessy bought a first- class ticket that was for white people only. The owners of the railroad were notified of Plessy’s race & his intent to change the law. Plessy was essentially set up because an undercover detective was hired to arrest Plessy.
