The Separate But Equal Legacy of Plessy

Abstract

Plessy v Ferguson is one of the most compelling and dramatic cases of the 19th Century. The Supreme Court's decision in 1896 protected a system of segregation who reverberations exist today. Luxenberg's book reveals many surprising facts underlying the Supreme Court's decision including the states of New York and Louisiana.

Arresting Homer Plessy for refusing to move to the Jim Crow railroad car reserved for blacks was prearranged. Although overruled by the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v Board of Education Plessy remains relevant today. Black people will tell you without hesitation that "racism in America is alive and well" - manifested economically, socially, educationally and in many other ways.

Racism is enforced both consciously and unconsciously and is maintained by legal and cultural institutions in our society. Separate brings to life the complex notions that dominate conversations about race in America today. Separate gives readers intimate knowledge about how we got to where we are today and what the future might hold.

Keywords: Segregation, Racism, Brown v Board of Education, Jim Crow