The Plessy decision created the idea of being separate but equal. It was the start of segregation on every social service including school, bus stations, restrooms, hotels, sports, cemeteries and even prisons.
The Southerners believe that the slaves were not citizens of the state and that they are not protected by laws. They continued to pass laws that violate and separate the black people. They also became the main enforcers of separate but equal, but in reality was not the real picture.