Plessy v. Ferguson: The American Constitution

Introduction

Despite all the fighters’ efforts for equality, racial segregation remains a sore spot in American society. Segregation within school district boundaries is a significant concern, highlighting race-based inequality in terms of accessing education, and is directly attributed to segregation on the basis of residence. Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education were the court cases that significantly contributed to the development of this issue. Therefore, this paper aims to view two cases that impacted the mentioned processes in the field of education.

Discussion

Plessy v. Ferguson is a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that legislated racial segregation and confirmed its compliance with the American Constitution. The decision allowed many state laws regain racial segregation that originated in the south of America, which occurred after the Reconstruction Era. The ruling constitutionally sanctioned regulations restricting black Americans from utilizing the same facilities, schools, and other public places as whites (Plessy v. Ferguson, n.d.). In 1896, the Supreme Court established that as per the constitutional standards any person of any race has equal access to any educational service (Plessy v. Ferguson, n.d.). The pleat is considered one of the worst decisions in history. Despite its bad reputation, the decision itself has never been explicitly reversed. Keeping it in mind, the court’s ability to change itself is both a strength and a weakness. It may turn the juridical system into a solid foundation for human rights defenders. However, by altering itself, it can limit individuals’ rights.

Meanwhile, Topeka was a significant Supreme Court case which ruled that racial segregation of students in public schools was against Constitution. Brown v. Board of Education was one of the most important court decisions leading to the rise of numerous the civil rights movement. This decision enabled the justices the identify that “separate but equal” education and other standards were not actually complied with. A plaintiff Oliver Brown complained and filed a lawsuit against the Board of Education of the city of Topeka, Kansas, in 1951. It happened the day when his daughter Linda Brown was once rejected to enter the school of Topeka which was only for whites (Brown v. Board of Education, n.d.). The court posed that the plaintiffs did not have equal protection of the laws ensured by the 14th Amendment (Brown v. Board of Education, n.d.). In its verdict, the Supreme Court did not specify precisely how schools should be merged but asked for additional arguments on this issue.

Although the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board did not in itself lead to desegregation in the school, the decision sparked the nascent civil rights movement in the United States. These cases became an impetus for developing other movements to extend women’s rights or eliminate housing segregation. It majorly affected the desegregation of housing by making it possible for both black and white to live in the same blocks. In addition, it boosted numerous civil rights movements that kept proclaiming equal rights for everyone. Nowadays, this tendency still exists despite multiple changes being made on the matter of segregation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the chosen cases attempted to eliminate segregation in society. Nonetheless, it still continues spreading across the U.S. despite numerous attempts to diminish its influence. The progress towards its elimination is visible, yet it will never fully disappear since individuals perceive the differences as socially imposed frames. In other words, the stereotypical nature of segregation is firm, which makes it almost impossible to disappear fully.

References

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1). (n.d.). Oyez. Web.

Plessy v. Ferguson. (n.d.). Oyez. Web.