In the late 1800’s, equal rights for women and African Americans was an argued issue. Although slavery ended in 1865, African Americans were continued to be treated unfairly and looked down upon. Throughout history, many court cases were fought for equal rights. Blacks and whites could not go to the same schools.
The landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court in 1896, upheld public segregation based on the color of one’s skin, is known as Plessy v. Ferguson
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The decision by the justices on the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of separate but equal facilities based on race
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The practice of segregation based on race stayed in effect for over sixty years until it was overturned in 1954 by the Supreme
Court decision in
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The Court said that a state law that “implies merely a legal distinction” between the two races did not conflict
Fisher 4 with the 13th Amendment abolishing involuntary servitude by a seven to one vote
(“Plessy v. Ferguson” par. 3)
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The Court avoided discussing the protection granted by the clause in the 14th Amendment that prohibits the states to make laws depriving citizens of their “privileges or immunities
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” The Court said that the purpose of the 14th
Amendment was “to enforce the absolute equality of the two races before the law…
Laws … requiring their separation … do not necessarily imply the inferiority of either race (“Plessy v. Ferguson” par. 4).”
In my opinion, I do not agree with the majority ruling
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If I lived in the time period when segregation was prevalent, I most likely would have agreed with the ruling.
Blacks and whites were separated at the time, so many people were adapted them not being allowed to intertwine
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Today, I believe that we are all created equally, and that we should not be judged by the color of our skin. The Plessy v
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Ferguson case started the “separate but equal” statement, and it lasted for decades. If I put myself in