Plessy v. Ferguson
Step-by-step explanation:
During this time, it was controversial whether or not segregation laws were legal. Segregation was present in restaurants, schools, public transport, public restrooms, even water fountains were segregated between whites and blacks during this time. Many people defended segregation with the argument "separate but equal" and would state it was not unconstitutional.
Homer Plessy, who was a man that was one-eighth African American and seven-eighths white, bought a ticket to a seat that was only for white passengers on a rail car. When Plessy refused to move from his seat, he got arrested. Obviously, he was angry and did not believe segregation to be "separate but equal." This case went all of the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, where Plessy defended himself and said what was happening to him and thousands of other people was unconstitutional.
Plessy ended up losing and the idea of "separate but equal" was upheld in court, essentially making segregation legal. Cases like this really show how contradictory and biased the country used to be.