Today marks a pivotal moment in American history as the landmark case of Plessy v. Ferguson comes before the Supreme Court. On April 13, 1896, Homer Plessy, a 30-year-old African American, boarded a train in New Orleans and deliberately sat in a "whites-only" car to challenge the constitutionality of Louisiana's segregation laws. Plessy's case, argued on this day, would ultimately lead to the infamous "separate but equal" doctrine, which would be upheld by the Court in a decision that would have far-reaching and devastating consequences for the civil rights of African Americans for nearly seven decades. As the nation's highest court weighs the merits of Plessy's challenge, the fate of racial equality hangs in the balance.
4/13/1896: Plessy v. Ferguson argued. The post Today in Supreme Court History: April 13, 1896 appeared first on Reason.com.
