Final answer:
The doctrine of 'separate but equal' emerged during legal segregation in the United States. It was established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, but ultimately overturned in Brown v. Board of Education. Separate facilities were deemed inherently unequal by the Supreme Court.
Step-by-step explanation:
Separate but equal was a doctrine that emerged in the United States during the era of legal segregation. It was established in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, where the Supreme Court ruled that racially separate facilities were permissible as long as they were equal in quality. However, this doctrine was ultimately overturned in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, when the Supreme Court declared that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal.
This policy of segregation and the concept of separate but equal had a profound impact on American society, particularly for African Americans. It was a major setback to the pursuit of equality and civil rights, as African Americans were subjected to inferior facilities and unequal treatment.
The Clarks' research on the psychological effects of segregation also contributed to the Supreme Court's rejection of the separate but equal doctrine. Their studies showed that the policy of segregation had a detrimental impact on the well-being and self-esteem of African American children, highlighting the inherent inequality of separate facilities.