The Affect of the Plessy V. Ferguson Case

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Tiffany Robinson Writing Assignment 5 African American History The May 1896 Plessy V. Ferguson case is one of the landmark rulings in the history of American Jurisprudence. It was the culminating legal action of the post-Reconstruction period in American race relations, and made a firm statement that the Federal Government was not in the business of protecting African American. It opened the door to the era of virtual apartheid in the United States that lasted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Supreme Court decision legitimized legal segregation in the nation. It provided that there could be separate public facilities, like schools and movie theaters as long as the facilities were near equal in equality. The problem was that the court did not define “equal” in the quality, and the facilities for the blacks became second class. The government was willing to make it seems as though blacks would have rights due to the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The Supreme Court decision was a major setback for African Americans seeking equality in the United States. The ruling further paved the way for numerous state laws throughout the country making segregation which resulted in making discrimination legal in almost all parts of daily life. The emergence of two prominent leaders from the oppression movement, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois improved the likelihood of black success. As a former slave and graduate of the Hampton Institute, Washington’s goal to teach southern African Americans skilled labor, economic self-help, hard work, and moderation attained substantial success. Thus, he opened Tuskegee University for this purpose. Washington clearly aimed to cement the integration and cooperation of races while also promoting economical and educational advancement on the national level. Washington’s proposal achieved distinction
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