Final answer:
The Supreme Court's Plessy v. Ferguson decision enforced the doctrine of 'separate but equal,' affirming the constitutionality of racial segregation and impacting civil rights legislation and societal norms until overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Plessy v. Ferguson decision upheld segregation policies under the doctrine of "separate but equal," reinforcing the sentiment that legal separations of races were constitutional as long as the facilities provided to each race were equal.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Louisiana segregation law was valid, maintaining financial traditions and promoting 'comfort and the public peace and good order.' This ruling enabled states to implement and enforce de jure segregation, influencing societal norms and public accommodations policies for over half a century.
Homer Plessy's act of civil disobedience to challenge segregation laws led to a landmark Supreme Court case, which ultimately endorsed racial discrimination.
Deemed legal in 1896, the segregation and racial discrimination practices were not constitutionally repudiated until the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, which declared that separate public education facilities are inherently unequal and, therefore, unconstitutional.