EOTO Reflection

 

Homer Plessy's refusal to exit a rail car reserved for white people in Louisiana in 1896 ultimately had a negative impact on American history. This wasn't just an isolated act of defiance. Plessy and his attorneys were attempting to demonstrate that segregation laws violated the 14th Amendment, which guaranteed all residents equal protection under the law, and were therefore illegal.

Plessy made a rather simple case. He claimed that the government had no right to treat people differently based just on their race and that separate facilities could never be really equal. Although it seems clear now, this was a radical concept that questioned the way Southern states functioned at the time.

Understanding the case's history is what made me understand this in a vast way. Even though slavery had been abolished in post-Civil War America, African Americans continued to encounter significant challenges everywhere they went. They lived in segregated areas with far fewer prospects than white Americans, had difficulty buying land, and were unable to vote in many places. Despite having fought a full war in part because of slavery, the nation was still unable to find out how to treat Black individuals fairly.

It's interesting to note that segregation was not only unethical but also extremely expensive and bad for the economy. Louisiana had to spend a lot of money to hire inspectors, manage legal issues, and enforce these segregation laws. Roads, schools, or other worthwhile initiatives might have been funded with all of that money. Additionally, gifted people found it more difficult to find work and contribute to society as a result of discrimination. It also harmed Louisiana's reputation, deterring companies and skilled individuals from moving there. metropolis like New Orleans were losing ground to more integrated metropolis like New York and Chicago, which provided better economic opportunities.

However, those who supported segregation had their own justifications. They asserted that upholding peace and order was more important than oppressing anyone. They said that everything was acceptable and permitted under the Constitution as long as the various amenities were of equal quality. They discussed allowing states to make their own judgments and honoring tradition. Racial segregation was even likened by some to having separate restrooms for men and women, which is plainly quite different.

Additionally, the defenders contended that segregation avoided intergroup strife, particularly among working-class individuals looking for employment. They gave the impression that segregation was beneficial to society's orderly operation. However, in reality, they were defending a system that deprived millions of people of their fundamental rights and dignity.

The "separate but equal" theory was established when the Supreme Court ultimately decided in favor of Louisiana. This was a major blow to civil rights and essentially legalized segregation nationwide. This awful ruling was finally overturned in 1954 with the Brown v. Board of Education case.

In the past, Plessy v. Ferguson demonstrates how the judicial system can occasionally condone injustice rather than combat it. Despite losing his case, Homer Plessy had the courage to oppose segregation. His battle serves as a reminder that sometimes it takes decades of struggle to make things right and that equality doesn't just come.