Question

Supreme Court decisions can have a huge impact on American politics and society. For example, in 1896 the Court made a famous decision in the case Plessy v. Ferguson: it was fine to separate people by race in public and private areas, as long as the conditions for both races were equal. The opinion of the Court used the phrase "separate but equal," which became a popular motto for segregation5 and oppression6 of African Americans across the country for decades to come. Fortunately, the Court made another decision in the 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education, which undid some of the damage. They ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. These cases are just two examples of how decisions made in the Supreme Court can have massive effects on our everyday lives.

Answer 1

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) endorsed segregation with the 'separate but equal' doctrine, while Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned this precedent, declaring segregation in public schools unconstitutional. However, enforcement required federal intervention, illustrating the impact and complexities of the Court's rulings.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Impact of Supreme Court Decisions on Segregation

The Supreme Court has played a pivotal role in shaping American society through landmark decisions. The infamous Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) case established the “separate but equal” doctrine, which legally sanctioned racial segregation. This precedent justified the existence of separate facilities for African Americans as long as they were purported to be equal to those of whites. However, the enforcement of this equality was often nonexistent, leading to inferior conditions for African Americans.

The transformative Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision marked a monumental shift in the fight for civil rights. The Court unanimously ruled that segregating children in public schools based on race was unconstitutional because “separate is inherently unequal.” This ruling overturned the previous precedent set by Plessy and laid the groundwork for subsequent desegregation efforts across the United States.

Despite this ruling, enforcing desegregation was a challenge. It wasn't until 1957 and the intervention of federal troops that some southern schools began to integrate, highlighting the complex relationship between the judiciary and the other branches of government in implementing Supreme Court decisions.