What did the Supreme Court rule in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, and what was the problem with this decision? What was ruled in the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education decision, and how was this related to Plessy v. Ferguson? Illustrate your

Question

essay with examples of the ways society was impacted by these decisions.

Please provide the best answer for the statement.

Answer 1

1. Plessy v. Ferguson—separate but equal accommodations for blacks and whites were not discriminatory and were in fact necessary because of different needs of the races.
2. Separate neighborhoods, businesses, sections on buses and in restaurants, schools and colleges, washrooms, and drinking fountains were considered to be necessary to ensure racial harmony.
3. The problem was that “separate” usually meant “inferior,” with blacks sitting at the back of the bus and black schools having fewer resources than white schools.
4. Brown v. the Board of Education reversed the Plessy decision, concluding that “separate but equal” was not equal, and thus segregation was replaced by legal integration, such as integrated schools and restaurants. Nonetheless, most people still live in same-race neighborhoods and attend same-race schools, and segregation still leads to fewer educational and job opportunities for minorities.