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Social Issues In The Court Case Of Plessy V. Ferguson

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Introduction Throughout history, racism, conflict, and struggle have all been a part of the way the United States has grown. Many movements surrounding these aspects of controversy have warned down on the way Americans see social issues. These issues are relevant in society today due to increased tensions over issues such as the Black Lives Matter movements. However, it is important to go back to the end of the 19th century to discover where the separation of races and issues over African American rights truly began. The event and time being 1896 with the controversial court case of Plessy v. Ferguson. For those that do not know Plessy ruled in favor of “separate but equal” for the public facilities of white and black individuals. Not only did the ruling affect parks and restaurants but also, more importantly, …show more content…

Schools began to separate off races with the primary issues becoming lack of truly “separate but equal” facilities. Many African American schools were literally falling apart during classes. The underfunding of these schools was incredible due to the lack of qualified teachers available in addition to the number of resources present. The issues that arise from the court case make some believe that there is a bigger issue at hand. Underneath it all, there is a human rights violation present within the context of the court’s ruling. Which leads many to believe that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclamation that “everyone has the right to education, maintaining that it will be free at least in the elementary and fundamental stages” was broken by the court's decision to make schools “separate but equal.” This acquisition draws on the idea that African Americans were not granted the same level and quality of education as white students during this period. Ultimately all this information leads me to believe that the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling infringed upon

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Laws were passed that denied African-Americans their right to vote, excluded them from using public transportation, excluded them from playing sports or attending sporting events, and even prevented them from playing checkers with Whites. The decision divided American society in two which in turn hindered the struggle for equal rights by doing so. The Plessy v Ferguson decision set back racial relations, increased oppression rates within the many African-American communities, and subsequently authorized more than fifty years worth of “legal”

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Plessy Vs. Ferguson Law Decided In 1896

233 Words | 1 Pages

Decided in 1896, the Plessy v Ferguson law was a landmark constitutional law case of the US Supreme Court. This case upheld state segregation laws for public places under the belief of the slogan “separate but equal.” It all began when Homer Plessy purchased a first class ticket to travel from New Orleans to Covington, La, taking a vacant seat in a white only car. This was ironic because he was seven eighths percent white and one out of eight percent black. He was arrested for breaking the law of 1890 stating that colored and whites have to sit in separate car’s riding a train due to the slogan separate but equal; emphasizing that everyone has the right to ride a train as long as they sit different cars (McBride, 2007).

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518 Words | 3 Pages

The case of Plessy v Ferguson in 1896 was a landmark decision in United States history that solidified the legality of segregation and the "separate but equal" doctrine. This ruling has far-reaching implications for African Americans and the civil rights movement as a whole. To fully understand the significance of this case, it is essential to examine the historical context, key figures involved, and the long-lasting impact it had on American society. Historical Context: In the late 19th century, America was still grappling with the aftermath of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery.

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Ferguson case was passed in 1896. “This decision approved segregation of the races as being consistent with the 14th amendment and formulated the doctrine of "separate but equal" facilities. It served as a legal basis for segregation in education. The case arose when one Homer A. Plessy, who was 7/8ths caucasian and 1/8th negro, was arrested for entering a railroad coach reserved for whites and refusing to sit in a segregated couch for negroes. The court, speaking through Justice Henry B Brown, found that these "separate but equal accommodations" satisfied the demands of the Fourteenth Amendment.”

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1551 Words | 7 Pages

For nearly a century, the United States was occupied by the racial segregation of black and white people. The constitutionality of this “separation of humans into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life” had not been decided until a deliberate provocation to the law was made. The goal of this test was to have a mulatto, someone of mixed blood, defy the segregated train car law and raise a dispute on the fairness of being categorized as colored or not. This test went down in history as Plessy v. Ferguson, a planned challenge to the law during a period ruled by Jim Crow laws and the idea of “separate but equal” without equality for African Americans. This challenge forced the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of segregation, and in result of the case, caused the nation to have split opinions of support and

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1266 Words | 6 Pages

In the United States, equal rights have always been a social issue that minority groups have struggled with throughout time and are still fighting up to today. During the 19th and 20th century, there were documented cases of inequality among races and many of these disputes were brought to court. There were two cases, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1955), that attempted to address the inequality among races. In this essay, I will be attempting to portray the shift in underlying legal principles that have switched from these two cases and suggest two theories, the weakening of legal rules and historical idealist account that could account for the change. Within four decades, the Supreme Court overturned their ruling of “separate but

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717 Words | 3 Pages

To explain, Chief Justice Earl Warren believed separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, even more they were a violation of the 14th amendment and were therefore unconstitutional. This ruling marked the end of the "separate but equal" precedent set by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson and sparked the Civil Rights movement during the 1950s. The Brown v. Board case as a result effected the United States in regards to race relations in criminal justice, the political process, and the separation of church and state (Brown v. Board). Without doubt, even though segregation of schools was illegal it did not guarantee the end of segregation within

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Ferguson” helped to cause the civil rights movement because the conditions of the ruling were in fact separate, but were not equal. The ruling did not respect the rights of the citizen as an individual. It was brought up again in a later court case in 1954, “Brown vs. The Board of Education”. This case argued that segregated schools also violated the 14th amendment. It overturned the “Plessy v. Ferguson” “Separate but equal” ruling.

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In 1896, the historic ruling of the Plessy versus Ferguson case made by the Supreme Court significantly affected the generations to come. In the case, the Supreme Court made the ruling of “separate but equal.” This was when segregation came out in full force. Despite the amendments made before, the Supreme Court made the decision that African Americans were supposed to be separated from whites in daily life. This included schools, churches, entrances made specifically for one race, and even public transportation was segregated (Brock, “New South”).

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Local and state governments enacted laws that mandated separation between Blacks and Whites. Such separateness was almost always unequal, despite the Supreme Court’s 1896 “separate but equal” ruling in Plessy vs. Ferguson. Blacks were confined to substandard bathrooms, parks, water fountains, restaurants, schools, and hospitals. They generally received a poor education, which hindered their ability to advance. White Southerners subjugated African-Americans whose work options were limited and whose pay lagged behind that of Whites.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

Brown V. Board of Education was the consolidation of four separate cases pertaining to the segregation of race in public schools. The similarities in each, involve African American students being denied admittance into public schools attended by white children under a law that allows for schools to segregate students based solely on race. The plaintiffs, in this case, argued that such separation violates the students Fourteenth Amendment rights. However, they were denied relief based on the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson, in which a “separate but equal” doctrine was established stating that states participating in the segregation of races in public schools were constitutional as long as the facilities were

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The ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson said that all black and white people will be separate but equal, but in reality, this was not the case ("Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)"). Whites were of course given the most elaborate and fancy equipment when in public; from schools to water fountains to bathrooms, whites were living in complete luxury compared to the increasingly struggling blacks of the time. A major flaw with the idea of segregation, was the issue of schooling. Whites were given the better schools with better teachers, while blacks had schools that were very poor and not the best teachers. Because of this, African-Americans were again being penalized just because of their race, truly showing how unequal their lives really were.

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In the year of 1896, the court case Plessy v. Ferguson made a huge issue of racism; segregation. The court upheld a Louisiana state law requiring public places such as hotels, hospitals, and restaurants to separate people by skin color. Because, the Supreme Court made a decision in Plessy vs. Ferguson that decided it was constitutional as long as they were separate but equal. This made people believe that white people have a higher standard than colored, putting colored people second class due to segregation.

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On May 17, 1954 the court case of Brown v. Board of Education held by the U.S Supreme Court was a major even in the history of our county. On this day all opportunities were made equal, including educational ones by establishing segregated schools as unconstitutional. Many activists, lawyers, students, teachers, and parents struggled for this day, wanting all the same equal opportunities as the whites. This turning point took place in many states including Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Delaware. NAACP lawyers of these states brought what they call “class action” lawsuits to defend the thoughts and equality of the students and parents of the segregated African American schools.

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Also it said that a good education doesn’t only apply to white students. Almost all the cases before Brown vs. Board of Education education enforced segregation between blacks and whites. The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson was a prime example of America enforcing segregation. “By a 7-1 vote, the Court said that a state law that “implies merely a legal distinction” between the two races did not conflict with the 13th Amendment forbidding involuntary servitude, nor did it tend to reestablish such a condition.

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