during Reconstruction of the 14th amendment was passed in 1868 guaranteeing that no state could take away the rights of the United States citizens in spite of this amendment southern states did take away black people's rights as citizens. Homer plessy as a black person was arrested on a railroad train and his case was appealed all the way to the supreme court. the 1896 court decision in plessy V Ferguson became legal basis for the next 60 years the court ruled against plessy and provided a legal blacking for
racial segregation and discrimination.
In the Plessy v. Ferguson case, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. This decision allowed states to legally enforce segregation on public transportation, schools, and other public facilities, as long as separate facilities were provided for different races.
This ruling had profound consequences for African Americans and perpetuated racial discrimination and inequality for the next six decades. It established a precedent that allowed for the establishment of Jim Crow laws, which enforced racial segregation and denied equal rights to Black individuals in the Southern states.
During this period, African Americans faced numerous systemic injustices, including limited access to education, public facilities, voting rights, and social and economic opportunities. This legalized discrimination continued until the landmark Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional and overturned the principle of "separate but equal."
The Plessy v. Ferguson decision and its aftermath highlight the challenges and setbacks faced by African Americans during the post-Reconstruction period as they struggled for equal rights and justice. It serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of racism and the ongoing fight for racial equality in the United States.