The Supreme Court upholds 'separate but equal,' giving constitutional cover to racial segregation.
At a Glance
- Date
- 18 May 1896
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Key people
- Homer Plessy, John Marshall Harlan (dissent)
- Category
- Law & Justice
- Source
- Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896) · Oyez
What It Meant Then
It legitimized Jim Crow laws across the South for nearly six decades.
What It Means Now
Plessy is studied as a foundational error later repudiated by Brown v. Board.
Cite this page
- MLA
- “Plessy v. Ferguson Upholds Segregation.” Black-History.com, 30 Sept. 2026, https://black-history.com/on-this-day/plessy-v-ferguson-upholds-segregation/.
- APA
- Black-History.com Editors. (2026, September 30). Plessy v. Ferguson Upholds Segregation. Black-History.com. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/plessy-v-ferguson-upholds-segregation/
- Chicago
- Black-History.com Editors. “Plessy v. Ferguson Upholds Segregation.” Black-History.com. September 30, 2026. https://black-history.com/on-this-day/plessy-v-ferguson-upholds-segregation/.
Editorial Note
By the Black-History.com editors. Last reviewed 30 September 2026. To suggest a primary source or a correction, write to editors@black-history.com or use our corrections form.