The Civil Rights Movement : A Black Man Who Looked White Named Homer Plessy

In 1892, Homer Plessy sought a seat in a “white” train car. Plessy was only 1/8 black, and appeared to be a Caucasian man. Even after being belittled and threatened, Plessy refused to transfer to a “colored” car. Violating the Separate Car Act, Plessy was arrested. He stated that this act violated his 13th and 14th amendment constitutional rights. His statements entailed that the act stripped away his 13th amendment right opposing slavery and his 14th amendment right for equal protection under the law. These arguments were revoked twice in lower courts until he decided he would take his plea to the Louisiana Supreme Court. (pbs.org)

Plessy v Ferguson: Plessy v Ferguson was a Supreme Court case ruled that segregated ‘equal but separate’ a public compromise for both colored and whites don’t violate the fourteenth amendment that made segregation legal.

A chiefly odious ruling was written in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. Argued before the Court in 1896 and ultimately overruled by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the Court, heard the case of a man named Plessy. One-eighths black, Plessy boarded a white-only car only which resulted in his arrest and jailing for violating of discriminatory segregationist statutes. The Court, under Justice Henry Billings Brown’s majority opinion, affirmed these segregationist policies establishing the infamous ‘separate but equal’ doctrine. As history would prove, the accommodations made for nonwhite Americans in many cases failed to even approach the threshold of equal. Plessy v. Ferguson stands in direct conflict with the promise of “equal justice under law”. With such a narrow interpretation of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments, which in part provided for equal protection under law, the Court yielded great deference to a harsh sociopolitical environment, ultimately sanctioning the segregation that would defile the American dream for many years, until Brown v. Board. The only dissenter in this case, Chief Justice John Harlan’s now-canonic phrase “our Constitution is color-blind,” (Hutchison, 427) reminds us that, contrary to the idea of the majority in this

Numerous grand triumphs had been won for blacks especially with the section of the thirteenth and fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution—"flexibility" was no longer only a fantasy after over 250 years of pitiless, sub-human treatment persisted under subjection arrived at an end when the 13th Amendment abrogated bondage. Furthermore, the fourteenth Amendment now promised them level with insurance and due process under the law. However the harm delivered by the Plessy versus Ferguson case which sanctioned the "different however equivalent" teaching, added fuel to an officially seething flame of isolation, exacerbating an awful circumstance just at this point guaranteeing and supporting the continuation of the racial domination and dark inadequacy

Separate, but equal. These words flowed freely throughout the nation after the abolishment of slavery, but African Americans, especially those living in the South, knew that separate was hardly ever equal. The quality of the facilities that African Americans were allowed to use was typically much poorer than that of the facilities for the Caucasians. Homer Plessy, a one-eighth African American shoemaker from Louisiana, decided to fight back against the system, and in doing so, he significantly impacted the Civil Rights Movement.

“After the end of Reconstruction in 1877, southern states and local communities began to enact laws known as segregation or "Jim Crow" laws. These measures separated the races in public accommodations. Rather than passing one sweeping law, local and state legislators in the South passed a series of laws between 1881 and 1910 that required separate accommodations for blacks and whites in public spaces. These laws were indicative of the hardening of the philosophy of white supremacy throughout the South during this time.”(Cassanello). The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the most influential event in the Civil Rights Movement because it paved way for ending discrimination and segregation, and giving more rights to African- Americans. During the Civil Rights Movement African- Americans were fighting to get their rights that were being taken away from them little by little. Starting in 1955 and going well into the late 1960’s early 1970’s, African- Americans started to protest against discriminatory laws and acts such as Jim Crow Laws and various requirements to vote. They did this because they wanted to be treated as equals and not to be judged because of their race(Mayer).

Civil rights have always been an issue in the American society, which has been proven over the years by all of the prejudice comments made by white people. Negros were forced to drink out of different water fountains, use different bathrooms, and were overall treated as lesser people. Since the creation of the United States negros have either been slaves or segregated throughout our country's history, even today at some places people don't treat African Americans with the respect that they should receive. Even though the change has exceeded tremendously it is still far from perfect. Martin Luther King Junior was a key aspect to our society in pushing towards equality. During the civil rights movement there were many individuals who also helped the cause such as Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and other significant figures that are well known today. There is a wide variety of feats that our nation as one, needs to surpass in order to be equal.

With the support of the NAACP many African Americans went to court to gain equality in the south. One of the most controversial and well known cases was the case of Plessy v Ferguson. This case was brought to court after a mixed raced man name Homer Plessy was removed from a cart that was designated only for whites. Plessy argued that the segregation of the races in any manner was racist and unjust, but the judge came to the conclusion that separate could be equal. () This court case was supported the laws in the south allowing segregating to go on for years.

People who fought to end segregation will never be forgotten. Segregation was the act of separating the “whites”and “blacks,” court cases such as Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of education spoke against segregation. Plessy v. Ferguson was about a man named Homer Plessy who was born on the 17th of March in 1862. Brown v. Board of education was about a little girl named Linda Brown. The two court cases were both about people speaking against segregation. The court case Plessy v. Ferguson helped with the decision for the Brown v. Board of education.

Plessy v. Ferguson – is an exceptionally significant legal court case where Homer Plessy approximately ninety percent white who was considered black by Louisiana law was jailed for sitting in a white only designated railroad car. Plessy v. Ferguson is a case where the Supreme Court Judge John H. Ferguson ruled that “Separate but equal” facilities is not a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment as long as they are

The extreme denial of due process of law arose during this time. People who committed crimes against African Americans failed to be arrested or prosecuted, and African Americans who were accused of wrongdoing were not assured a fair trial. The Supreme Court Case of Plessy vs Ferguson in 1896 set the legal precedent and made it possible for states to enforce racial segregation laws

Martin Luther King Jr. was the reason that segregation stopped because he believed that peaceful protests would help get the people to listen to him not violence. When Martin Luther King Jr. helped with the boycott of buses it showed results by not being violent about it and not drawing attention by letting everyone know that they weren’t riding the bus anymore. Instead they decided to be peaceful and eventually in 1955 the supreme court declared bus segregation illegal. If Martin wasn’t so peaceful about everything then segregation would never had been declared illegal and we would be segregated today Martin Luther King Jr. is very inspirational for being peaceful all the time with protests and not giving up he just kept believing that they

The United States was touched with discrimination, and it still is. In 1892, the Supreme Court passed a law that forced blacks and whites to sit in separate train cars, use different bathrooms, and go to different schools B1. This began segregation. In 1921 Congress also drastically restricted immigration A24 so that there would be less racial diversity. Then, in 1929, Martin Luther King Jr. was born B6. He decided that he wanted to make a difference in the fight against segregation. He led peaceful marches (meaning he didn’t use violence to show what he wanted) and eventually played an important role against segregation. Due to his and other people’s efforts, segregation was finally made illegal in schools in 1954 B2. Then, ten years later, in 1964, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, ending segregation. Unfortunately, Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death four years later, in 1968.

In 1892, a man named Homer Plessy was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act, which had been put in place two years prior to the incident. According to StreetLaw.org, the Separate Car Act claimed that “all rail companies carrying passengers in Louisiana must provide separate but equal accommodations for white and non-white passengers.” The penalty for disobeying the Act was a twenty five dollar fine or twenty days in jail. Unfortunately for Mr. Plessy, he was one eighth black and purchased a first class ticket to sit in the car dedicated to white people. Once arrested, Plessy argued that the act violated both his thirteenth and fourteenth amendment rights and decided to take the matter to court. Plessy lost his case in two minor courts before he brought the issue to the Supreme

    On June 7th, 1892, Homer Plessy paid for and rode the East Louisiana Railway from New Orleans to Covington. He paid for first class and was riding alongside white counterparts. This may seem like a harmless ordeal to some, but a key fact is missing. Homer Plessy was an “octoroon”, meaning he was one-eighth black. Under Louisiana law, people of color were forced to sit separately from whites due to the Separate Car Act. Even though Plessy was only one-eighth black, he was still considered a “person of color” and was forced to move into a separate accommodation. Homer Plessy,outraged, refused to comply and was imprisoned. Plessy then filed a complaint against the state of Louisiana claiming that the reason for his arrest went against the Fourteenth Amendment. While on trial, Judge John Howard Ferguson decided that the state of Louisiana “could choose to regulate railroad companies that operated only within the state”, thus finding Plessy guilty of his refusal to leave the white accommodation. Homer Plessy's case Plessy v. Ferguson eventually reached the Supreme Court where they found Homer guilty once again. This case can best be understood by the legitimacy of Homer Plessy’s standing in court , the idea of equality, and the Fourteenth Amendment.