| 1892 | | | | dramatically. They would officially be separated and |
| The U.S. Supreme Court: the highest court in the land. | | | | considered low down in society. |
| Their job: to decide the constitutionality of cases. But is | | | | Plessy v. Ferguson was the law of the land until 1954, |
| that what they are really doing? Can we trust that | | | | when it was finally, successfully overturned by Brown |
| their decisions are just? Two important cases in | | | | v. Board of Education. In 1954, a little girl named Linda |
| history can help answer this question. A 1896 U.S. | | | | Brown in Topeka, Kansas had to walk 5 miles to |
| Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson, made | | | | school. She didn't get recess and could not play with |
| facilities and schools separate based on race. In | | | | any of the other children who were all white. Her |
| another case in 1954, Brown v. Board of Education, the | | | | parents filed a case to the U.S. Supreme Court saying |
| court reversed its decision and said that separate was | | | | that there is no way blacks and whites could get equal |
| not equal. These two cases teach two lessons about | | | | education if they were separated. The court ruled that |
| the U.S. Supreme Court. Plessy shows that our justice | | | | separate is not equal. |
| system has failed at times to establish justice. Brown | | | | The amount of time between Plessy v. Ferguson and |
| shows that even though the Court rules justly, justice | | | | Brown v. Board of Education shows just how long it |
| isn't guaranteed. | | | | took to get justice for blacks from the Supreme Court. |
| Many events led up to Plessy v. Ferguson. For | | | | It amazes me that our government could even |
| example: after the Congress withdrew federal troops | | | | question if blacks have the right to justice. It should be |
| from the South in 1877, conditions for blacks | | | | basic knowledge for us to know that it is wrong to |
| deteriorated. The government pushed blacks into an | | | | treat any people so unjustly. Just to prove my point |
| inferior position. The government took action to | | | | here are some questions you can ask yourself: are |
| prevent blacks from voting immediately. | | | | blacks human beings just like whites? Do blacks and |
| They embarked poll taxes, "grandfather clauses". They | | | | whites both have feelings and needs? And finally, is |
| also segregated on trains, in parks, schools, restaurants, | | | | the only difference between blacks and whites is that |
| theaters, swimming pools, and even cemeteries. If | | | | they have a different complexion? I am confused as |
| blacks broke these segregation laws, they were likely | | | | to why so many people, including Justices on our |
| to end up either in prison or dead! | | | | Supreme Court would not answer yes to all these |
| The case of Plessy v. Ferguson was a very important | | | | questions. How could anyone who had any intelligence |
| case in American History because it enforced | | | | think it was acceptable to treat blacks differently? |
| segregation even making it legal, and made | | | | Fortunately the Court did come to its senses in Brown |
| segregation a concrete reality for the people of the | | | | v. Board of Education. Yet just because The U.S. |
| United States. It began with a man called Homer | | | | Supreme Court ruled that separate is not equal it did |
| Plessy. Plessy was 7/8 white and only had 1/8 drop of | | | | not mean that blacks were automatically treated |
| black blood in him, but under Louisiana law, was | | | | equally. After Brown v. Board of Education happened, |
| considered black. In 1890, Louisiana passed a law | | | | there needed to be the Civil Rights Movement, in which |
| providing that "all railway companies carrying | | | | many people were involved to push society to change. |
| passengers in their coaches in this state shall provide | | | | Two people who led the Civil Rights Movement were |
| equal but separate accommodations for the white and | | | | Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. We must |
| colored races, by providing two or more passenger | | | | acknowledge that it wasn't only those people, there |
| coaches for each passenger train, or by dividing the | | | | were others working and helping the same cause. |
| passenger coaches by a partition so as to secure | | | | There were many ways that they impacted The Civil |
| separate accommodations." Plessy believed that the | | | | Rights Movement. They gave speeches, wrote letters, |
| law was unjust and so he challenged the law by | | | | led marches, held meetings and many other strategies. |
| refusing to leave the white railroad car. He was | | | | They also endured mental and physical hardships. Only |
| arrested and taken to trial. At this trial he argued that | | | | through the Civil Rights Movement did the promise of |
| the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and | | | | Brown actually get achieved. These people were poor, |
| Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. But he | | | | wealthy, high class, low class, black, some white, short |
| was found guilty. Plessy then appealed the decision to | | | | and tall. Basically, there was a wide range of different |
| the Supreme Court of Louisiana. Again his case was | | | | kinds of people. Not everyone automatically changed |
| upheld. Plessy appealed again in 1896 to the Supreme | | | | their frame of mind when The U.S. Supreme Court |
| Court of the United States. Homer Plessy was found | | | | ruled separate is not equal. There were still many |
| guilty once again. The impact of the court's decision | | | | people out there who were racist and wanted to keep |
| was a harsh one. It created a reality that was a | | | | blacks in an inferior position. |
| nightmare to many. Their lives would be changed | | | | |