Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. FergusonSupreme Court Case 1896Supreme Court Case 1896

““Separate But EqualSeparate But Equal””Power point created by Robert L. MartinezPrimary Content: The Americans

Supreme Court Opinions

Opinion (Majority Opinion): The legal reasoning behind the court’s ruling on a case.

Dissenting Opinion: Statement by the Justices who disagreed with the majority.

Concurring Opinion: Statement by the Justices who agreed with the majority, but for a different reason than the Majority.

In 1892, Homer Plessy took a In 1892, Homer Plessy took a seat in the “whites only” car of a seat in the “whites only” car of a

train and refused to move. He train and refused to move. He was arrested, and convicted for was arrested, and convicted for

breaking Louisiana’s segregation breaking Louisiana’s segregation law.law.

Plessy appealed, claiming that he had Plessy appealed, claiming that he had been denied equal protection under the been denied equal protection under the law. The Supreme Court handed down law. The Supreme Court handed down

its decision on May 18, 1896.its decision on May 18, 1896.

Homer Plessy

The Supreme Court ruled that The Supreme Court ruled that separate-but-equal facilities for separate-but-equal facilities for blacks and whites did not violate blacks and whites did not violate

the Constitution.the Constitution.

Miami, Florida

Plessy claimed that segregation Plessy claimed that segregation violated his right to equal violated his right to equal protection under the law. protection under the law.

Homer Plessy

Supreme Court Justice Henry B. Supreme Court Justice Henry B. Brown ruledBrown ruled, , “the object of the 14“the object of the 14thth amendment … could not have been amendment … could not have been

intended to abolish distinctions intended to abolish distinctions based upon color… or a based upon color… or a

commingling of the two races.”commingling of the two races.”

Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented Justice John Marshall Harlan dissented from the majority opinion,from the majority opinion, “In respect “In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law…the seeds of race before the law…the seeds of race hate…planted under the sanction hate…planted under the sanction of law…the thin disguise of ‘equal’ of law…the thin disguise of ‘equal’ accommodations…will not mislead accommodations…will not mislead anyone, nor atone for the wrong anyone, nor atone for the wrong this day done.”this day done.”

In the decades following the Civil In the decades following the Civil War, Southern states passed laws War, Southern states passed laws that aimed to limit civil rights for that aimed to limit civil rights for

African Americans.African Americans.

The Black codes of the 1860s, and The Black codes of the 1860s, and later Jim Crow laws, were intended later Jim Crow laws, were intended to deny African Americans of their to deny African Americans of their

newly won political and social rights newly won political and social rights granted during Reconstruction.granted during Reconstruction.

PlessyPlessy was one of several Supreme was one of several Supreme Court cases brought by African Court cases brought by African

Americans to protect their rights Americans to protect their rights against discrimination.against discrimination.

In these cases, the Supreme Court In these cases, the Supreme Court regularly ignored the 14regularly ignored the 14thth

Amendment and upheld state laws Amendment and upheld state laws that denied blacks their rights.that denied blacks their rights.

PlessyPlessy was the most important of was the most important of these cases because the Supreme these cases because the Supreme

Court used it to establish the Court used it to establish the separate-but-equal doctrine.separate-but-equal doctrine.

As a result, city and state As a result, city and state governments across the South, and governments across the South, and in some other states, maintained in some other states, maintained their segregation laws for more their segregation laws for more

than half of the 20than half of the 20thth century. century.

These laws limited African These laws limited African Americans’ access to most public Americans’ access to most public facilities, including restaurants, facilities, including restaurants,

schools, and hospitals.schools, and hospitals.

Signs reading “Colored Only” and Signs reading “Colored Only” and “Whites Only” served as constant “Whites Only” served as constant

reminders that facilities in reminders that facilities in segregated societies were separate segregated societies were separate

but but not not equal.equal.

It took many decades to abolish It took many decades to abolish legal segregation. During the first legal segregation. During the first half of the 20half of the 20thth century, the National century, the National Association for the Advancement of Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) led the Colored People (NAACP) led the legal fight to overturn legal fight to overturn PlessyPlessy..

It was not until 1954 in It was not until 1954 in Brown v. Brown v. Board of EducationBoard of Education that the that the

Supreme Court overturned any part Supreme Court overturned any part of of PlessyPlessy..

Brown v. Board of Education

U.S. Supreme Court (1954)

Background In Topeka, Kansas, a black 3rd grader

named Linda Brown had to walk one mile through a Railroad switchyard to get to her elementary school. There was a white elementary school only 7 blocks away.

She was turned down for enrollment in the white school. Brown’s father went to McKinley Burnett, head of Topeka’s branch of the NAACP. (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People). He agreed to help, he felt that they had the “right plaintiff at the right time”.

Segregation in Schools, 1954

How were schools different? Textbooks

– White Schools received the new books– Black Schools received the books the white

schools no longer needed (hand-me-downs); black students also had to share textbooks since there were more black students per class

Teachers– White teachers received more pay than the

black teachers. Buildings

– White schools were in better shape than black schools

How were schools different?Moton High School, Appomattox, Virginia.

All Black School

Farmville High School, Appomattox, Virginia.

All White School

Appeals Court Arguments

The Board of Education’s defense was that segregation in the schools would prepare them for segregation in adulthood. They argued that segregated schools were not detrimental. They used examples such as Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and George Washington Carver.

On one hand the Appeals Court judges agreed with the plaintiff, but on the other hand Plessy v. Ferguson set a legal a precedent.

Appeals Court Ruling?

They ruled in favor of the Board of Education.

The court cited the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson as the main reason.

The Plaintiffs Appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Supreme Court

Arguments

The NAACP lawyer who argued the case, Thurgood Marshall, is seen on the right.

Main argument: That separate school systems for blacks and whites were inherently unequal, and thus violate the "equal protection clause" of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Ruling

In a unanimous vote, 9-0:

"We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. . ."

Results

American schools desegregated. Most did so peacefully, but other areas had major violence (especially in the south).

Some states even dragged their feet. Integration wasn’t completed, totally, until 1970’s

Remember Thurgood Marshall?

He became the first African-American Justice on the Supreme Court (1967).

He argued a total of 32 cases in front of the Supreme Court.

He won 29 of them.