Many countries have been plagued with racial tension for centuries. After the abolishment of slavery in the US, several places were deemed “separate but equal”. Many white people didn’t want to be in the presence of people with colored skin. They felt that colored people were inferior, so they kept the two “groups” separate. Two Supreme Court cases that focused on “separate but equal” and its constitutionality were Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education. These two landmark cases were essential in setting a precedent for the segregation and integration of the United States. Plessy v. Ferguson established that “separate but equal” was constitutional as long as the two places were indeed equal. Approximately 50 years later,
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The first case that the Supreme Court viewed in regards to the separate but equal doctrine was Plessy v. Ferguson. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson was named for two men, Homer Plessy and John Ferguson. Homer Plessy, who was only one-eight black, was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act. Ferguson was the district court judge who decided his case. According to landmarkcases.org, Plessy was involved with a group of black citizens who joined forces with the East Louisiana Railroad Company to fight the constitutionality of the Separate Car Act. In order to do this, Plessy was supposed to sit in a train car designated for whites, and railroad officials were supposed to arrest him for violating the Act. After this occurred, a white, well known black rights advocate named Albion Tourgee agreed to argue Plessy’s case, without any compensation. During his trial in criminal district court, Plessy argued that the Separate Car Act violated his 13th and 14th Amendment rights. The 13th Amendment, Section 1 states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This means that unless serving a
The first case that the Supreme Court viewed in regards to the separate but equal doctrine was Plessy v. Ferguson. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson was named for two men, Homer Plessy and John Ferguson. Homer Plessy, who was only one-eight black, was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act. Ferguson was the district court judge who decided his case. According to landmarkcases.org, Plessy was involved with a group of black citizens who joined forces with the East Louisiana Railroad Company to fight the constitutionality of the Separate Car Act. In order to do this, Plessy was supposed to sit in a train car designated for whites, and railroad officials were supposed to arrest him for violating the Act. After this occurred, a white, well known black rights advocate named Albion Tourgee agreed to argue Plessy’s case, without any compensation. During his trial in criminal district court, Plessy argued that the Separate Car Act violated his 13th and 14th Amendment rights. The 13th Amendment, Section 1 states, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This means that unless serving a