Final answer:
Segregated facilities were often unequal despite the law due to the implementation of the separate but equal doctrine and the inferior facilities provided for African Americans.
Step-by-step explanation:
Segregated facilities were almost always unequal despite the law due to a number of factors.
One of the main reasons was the implementation of the separate but equal doctrine, established by the Supreme Court in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. This doctrine allowed for racial segregation as long as the facilities were deemed equal, but in reality, the facilities provided for African Americans were often inferior to those provided for white individuals.
Additionally, segregation laws made it difficult for African Americans to access resources and opportunities that were easily available to white individuals.