RSF: Plessy v. Ferguson and the Legacy of “Separate but Equal” After 125 Years
About This Book
The notorious Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson made state-sanctioned racial segregation the law of the land in 1896. While the civil rights movement and subsequent Supreme Court decisions in the twentieth century did much to mitigate its effects, its consequences reverberate in ways large and small today. This volume of RSF revisits the legacy of the decision on its 125th anniversary to consider the connection between constitutionally imposed segregation, institutionalized white supremacy, and enduring racial inequality. Edited by john a. powell, Samuel L. Myers, and Susan T. Gooden—eminent scholars in constitutional law, economics, and public administration respectively—the volume includes contributions from an interdisciplinary roster of experts, each offering fresh insights on the doctrine of “separate but equal” as it relates to citizenship, colorism, and civil rights in the United States.
The contributors grapple with a central overarching question: How is it that a court decision from 125 years ago still has such an enduring impact on racial disparities? john a. powell provides a nuanced overview of the legal context of the case to show that segregation was not only about separating people by race but primarily about preserving white supremacy. The wide latitude for judicial interpretation granted to judges means that who decides matters, and today, just as much as in 1896, the justices sitting on the Supreme Court matter. Thomas J. Davis discusses how control over personal identity lay at the heart of Plessy, and how its denial of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms reverberates today. From sex and marriage to adoption, gender recognition, employment, and voting, persistent discrimination turns in various degrees on state authority to define, categorize, and deny freedom of personal identity. Looking at the enduring educational impact of “separate but equal,” which was not entirely rectified by the outlawing of school segregation in Brown v. Board of Education, Dania V. Francis and William A. Darity Jr. link ongoing within-school segregation to the legacy of racialized tracking born from white resistance to desegregation. They demonstrate how a short-term, concerted effort to increase the number of Black high school students taking advanced courses could lead to long-term benefits in closing the educational achievement gap and eliminating institutionalized segregation within our schools.
This issue of RSF corrects and expands the narrative around Plessy, and provides important lessons for addressing the nation’s continuing racial travails. It is ideal for use by scholars, community leaders, and policy makers alike.