Plessy v. Ferguson

Homer Plessy (Basic Info)

aka Homère Patrice Adolphe Plessy, born 3/17/1863 in Louisiana, died 3/1/1925. American shoe maker who was the plaintiff in the Plessy v. Ferguson SCOTUS case.

Homer Plessy Early Life

Homer’s mother married a post office clerk from a family of shoemakers after the passing of his father 3 years prior.

Unification Movement

A civil rights organization formed in the 1870s, worked across racial lines, seeking political equality for all to an end to discrimination. Plessy was influenced by his stepfather's participation in this movement.

Plessy’s activism

First got involved in social activism in 1887 when he became involved in education reform as VP of the Justice, Protective, Educational, and Social Club.

Justice, Protective, Educational, and Social Club

Unsuccessfully challenged the segregation of Orleans Parish public schools despite a provision in the Louisiana state constitution that prohibited the establishment of separate schools based on race.

Plessy’s characteristics

Even though describing himself as, “7/8ths Caucasian and 1/8th African blood,” was still considered “colored” under the terms of the Separate Car Act of 1890.

Plessy’s Arrest

On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy intentionally boarded a first-class train car in New Orleans to challenge Louisiana’s Separate Car Act. After admitting to the conductor that he was “colored,” Plessy refused to move to the designated car, asserting his right as an American citizen who had paid for a first-class ticket. The train was stopped, and Detective Christopher Cain arrested Plessy, forcibly removing him from the train. Plessy spent the night in jail and appeared the next day before Judge John Howard Ferguson on charges of violating segregation laws.

The Citizens’ Committee

Was to test the constitutionality of the Separate Car Act (Plessy was a member of this group).

$500

Posted bond for Plessy’s release.

When was Homer Plessy arranged?

October 1892, four months after his arrest.

What did Plessy’s attorneys argue about the Separate Car Act & the 13th amendment

They said it imposed a “badge of servitude,” violating the amendment that prohibited slavery.

How did the Separate Car Act allegedly violate the 14th amendment

Denied Plessy the equal protection of the laws.

What additional argument did Plessy’s lawyers make about race

Argued that race was too complex for legislature to allow a train conductor to decide who was “colored.”

What was happening in the U.S. between 1893 and 1896

The national and judicial climate had become more hostile toward Black Americans.

Conditions for Black people

Deteriorating rapidly, especially in the South.

What Happened After Plessy’s initial court case

Plessy lost and then appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court in 1893, where he also failed.

When did the U.S. Supreme Court hear Plessy’s case

April 1896

Supreme Court Ruling

Followed on May 18th, 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson, upheld the Separate Car Act and declared that the law never violated the 13th (because it didn’t reimpose slavery) or 14th amendment (because the accommodations provided to each race were equal.)

The Decisions Effects

Solidified the establishment of the Jim Crow era and inaugurated a period of legalized segregation in the U.S.

Plessy Post Case

Reported to Ferguson’s court to answer the charge of violating the Separate Car Act. Changed his plea to guilty and paid a $25 fine. He lived in New Orleans, working as a labourer, warehouseman, and clerk.

What was the vote split and the outcome?

Decision 7-1 (1 justice did not participate). The Court upheld Louisiana law.

Who was the lone dissenting justice and what was his view

Justice John Marshall dissented. Argued that the constitution is “color-blind” and that the law should not permit racial discrimination.

Plessy v Ferguson overturned

Plessy was overruled by Brown v. Board in 1954, when SCOTUS declared that segregation in public schools is inherently unequal. Meanwhile, the law remained for nearly 60 years until being overturned.

What the Ruling Symbolized

Symbolized the post-reconstruction era shifting from protecting Black civil rights and toward enforcing white supremacy under law.