The US Supreme Court Case: Separate But Equal Equality

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Separate but equal is a common phrase heard throughout history based on the discrimination against African Americans at that time. This ideology of segregation was especially enforced by the U.S. Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. The case starts with Homer Plessy’s decision to sit on the white only side on the railroads even though he is a person of color. Plessy ended up being arrested for his refusal of sitting on the seats for African Americans since it is a Louisiana law to use facilities designed for one’s race. To defend himself, Plessy argues that segregation of people is a violation of his freedom. Judge John Ferguson upheld the trial, and the court ruled against Plessy since the segregation of color did not violate …show more content…
The state laws implement the distinction between races in the community. For example, transportation had its distinct seating arrangements for two races. Whites were able to sit in one spot while African Americans were allowed to sit in another. Some people believed in the authenticity of the separate but equal doctrine. According to Justice Brown, the law did not “stamp the colored race with a badge of inferiority and any suggestion is because the colored race chooses to place that construction on it” (Brown). In reality, separating the community does not equal equality. The Plessy v. Ferguson case demonstrates the worth of African Americans in the community. African Americans are seen as inferior to the dominant group of Caucasians. This view of separate but equal isolates people of color from the main part of the population. By placing races in designated sections, society is detaching blacks from the community. Splitting up the races will not bring whites and blacks together to an ideal society of equality. Social constructions are being created from the dividing line of whites and blacks, which results in the oppression of colored …show more content…
Ferguson case. The trial’s outcome identified people of color as second hand citizens with respect to racial segregation. In contrast with the equality proposition that people of power preached, the separate but equal doctrine discriminates against blacks. Dividing races into designated areas is the opposite of equality. Even though the court deemed the separation of races as an equal position for everyone, people of color were not treated equally. A prime example is the accommodations accessible for black people. Public facilities available for African Americans were substandard compared to the spaces that Caucasian had access to. African Americans are secluded from society, and they have little power to fight with. People will not be able live on an even level when one part of society holds a systematic advantage over the other. A major factor of the discrimination against people of color is the assumptions Caucasians already have about them. By whites separating themselves from blacks, they are showing their disinterest in getting to know each other. As a result, Caucasians have limited information on people of different races from their own. This is the root of problem. According to Tatum (2013), “stereotypes, omissions, and distortions all contribute to the development of prejudice” (65). Since white people are less exposed to the black culture from the segregation placed, Caucasians

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