1896 - Plessy v. Ferguson Upholds

On May 18, 1896, the United States Supreme Court handed down one of the most devastating decisions in Black history: Plessy v. Ferguson. In a 7–1 ruling, the Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal.” The decision stemmed from Homer Plessy’s courageous act of civil disobedience in Louisiana, where he challenged segregation laws by sitting in a “whites-only” train car. The ruling legally sanctioned systemic racism and allowed Jim Crow laws to flourish across the South for decades, institutionalizing inequality in education, housing, transportation, and public services. This judicial endorsement of segregation remained in place until it was finally overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. May 18 is a key date in African American legal history, reminding us how courts can both reinforce and dismantle racial injustice. Understanding this ruling is essential to tracking the arc of civil rights law in America.