Final answer:
The Supreme Court initially affirmed segregation in public transportation with the Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 which established the 'separate but equal' doctrine. However, this was later overturned by civil rights progress, including the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, and actions by the Interstate Commerce Commission to ban segregation in interstate travel facilities.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Supreme Court and Segregation of Public Transportation
The Supreme Court has had a significant role in the development and eventual overturning of laws mandating racial segregation in public transportation in the United States. In 1896, the Court affirmed the legitimacy of segregation in public transportation through the ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson. This case involved Homer Plessy, a light-skinned African American who boarded a train car reserved for whites to challenge Louisiana's segregation law. He was arrested, and the ensuing legal battle concluded with the Supreme Court ruling that segregation was lawful as long as facilities were "separate but equal." This decision institutionalized de jure segregation and set the precedent for racial segregation in various aspects of public life.
However, in the mid-20th century, the Supreme Court began to chip away at the "separate but equal" doctrine. Landmark cases like the Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 overturned the principle as it applied to public education, declaring that segregated schools could not provide equal opportunities to all races. Though this particular decision did not address transportation, the legal reasoning weakened the Plessy precedent and laid the groundwork for future desegregation efforts in all aspects of public life, including transportation. In fact, subsequent to the Brown decision, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued an order banning segregation in interstate travel facilities, marking the end of de jure segregation in public transportation.