Plessy vs. Ferguson: A Case for Desegregation

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Plessy vs. Ferguson Homer Plessy vs. the Honorable John H. Ferguson ignited the spark in our nation that ultimately led to the desegregation of our schools, which is shown in the equality of education that is given to all races across the country today. “The Plessy decision set the precedent that ‘separate’ facilities for blacks and whites were constitutional as long as they were ‘equal’” (“The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow”). The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson not only illuminated the racial inequality within our education system, but also brought to light how the standard of ‘separate but equal’ affected every aspect of African American lives. The court case of Plessy vs. Ferguson created nationwide controversy in the United States due to the fact that its outcome would ultimately affect every citizen of our country. On Tuesday, June 7th, 1892, Mr. Homer Plessy purchased a first class ticket on the East Louisiana Railroad for a trip from New Orleans to Covington. He then entered a passenger car and took a vacant seat in a coach where white passengers were also sitting. There was another coach assigned to people who weren’t of the white race, but this railroad was a common carrier and was not authorized to discriminate passengers based off of their race. (“Plessy vs. Ferguson, syllabus”).Mr. Plessy was a “Creole of Color”, a person who traces their heritage back to some of the Caribbean, French, and Spanish who settled into Louisiana before it was part of the US (“The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow”). Even though Plessy was only one eighth African American, and could pass for a full white man, still he was threatened to be penalized and ejected from the train if he did not vacate to the non-white coach (“Plessy vs. Ferguson, syllabus). In ... ... middle of paper ... ... Plessy to thank for the equality that is our nation. Works Cited "African Americans: The Struggle for Economic Equality (1900-1950s)."Calisphere. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. "Before and After Plessy vs. Ferguson." Before and After Plessy vs. Ferguson. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014 Cozzens, Lisa. "Plessy v. Ferguson." After the Civil War:. N.p., 17 Sept. 1999. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. "H-Net Reviews." H-Net Reviews. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. “Separate but Equal? The Road to Brown” 28 Apr. 2014 Foner, Eric, and John A. Garraty. "Plessy v. Ferguson." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 1991. Web. 24 Apr. 2014 Pearson Education. "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)." Infoplease. Infoplease, 2005. Web. 23 Apr. 2014. "Plessy v. Ferguson." LII / Legal Information Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. "Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

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