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{{discrimlaw}}

{{discrimlaw}}

'''''Plessy v. Ferguson''''' was a case handed down in 1896 by the [[Supreme Court]].  Homer Plessy, a man who did not consider himself "[[African American]]," but qualified as "black" under "1-drop rules," sued after being kicked out of a "whites only" car in a [[railroad]].  After winning his suit at all levels, the [[Supreme Court]] handed Plessy a loss for himself, and for the [[unalienable rights]] of Americans everywhere.

'''''Plessy v. Ferguson''''' was a case handed down in 1896 by the [[Supreme Court]].  Homer Plessy, a man who did not consider himself "[[African American]]," but qualified as "black" under "1-drop rules," sued after being kicked out of a "whites only" car in a [[railroad]].  After winning his suit at all levels, the [[Supreme Court]] handed Plessy a loss for himself, and for the [[unalienable rights]] of [[American]]s everywhere.

The holding of ''Plessy'' made clear that the equality guarantees of the newly passed [[Fourteenth Amendment]] were confined to rights of a civil and political nature.  Social rights - such as equality in the public sphere - were not guaranteed.  Specifically, ''Plessy'' held that the [[federal government]], or [[state government]]s, may classify on the basis of [[race]] and perform [[social engineering]] activities designed to separate the races so long as they did not become inordinately [[oppressive]].  The majority of the Court did not define what ''would'' be inordinately oppressive.

The holding of ''Plessy'' made clear that the equality guarantees of the newly passed [[Fourteenth Amendment]] were confined to rights of a [[civil rights|civil]] and [[political]] nature.  Social rights - such as [[equality]] in the public sphere - were not guaranteed.  Specifically, ''Plessy'' held that the [[federal government]], or [[state government]]s, may classify on the basis of [[race]] and perform [[social engineering]] activities designed to separate the races so long as they did not become inordinately [[oppression|oppressive]].  The majority of the Court did not define what ''would'' be inordinately oppressive.

Justice [[John Marshall Harlan]] filed a blistering dissent, arguing for a color-blind constitution, and stating that he would have stricken down segregation over 50 years before the Court did in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''.

Justice [[John Marshall Harlan]] filed a blistering dissent, arguing for a color-blind [[United States Constitution|constitution]], and stating that he would have stricken down segregation over 50 years before the Court did in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''.

==Text of the decision==

==Text of the decision==