Answer:
B. Black and white Southerners were legally segregated.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plessy v. Ferguson is one of the most important supreme court rulings in post-civil war America.
Separate But Equal
Plessy v. Ferguson is most known for the ruling of "separate but equal." In 1892, a black man named Homer Plessy bought a train ticket and refused to sit in the car for black people. His case ended up making it to the United States Supreme Court, where the justices ruled that segregation did not violate the 14th amendment.
With this ruling, the Supreme Court stated that states and businesses could continue with segregation as long as the areas for black and white people were equal. For example, schools could be segregated as long as the schools for black and white kids were of equal quality. However, it was extremely rare for institutions to actually ensure that segregated areas were equal for both races.
Results
As stated above, it was uncommon for facilities to actually be equal. This led to black Americans suffering from lower-quality transportation, education, and more. The ruling of "separate but equal" protected states' rights to segregation. This would lead to black Americans organizing sit-ins and protests to fight for their rights. However, it would not be until 1954, in the Brown v. Board case, that Plessy v. Ferguson is overturned.