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Homer Adolph Plessy
Homer Adolph Plessy was the American Louisiana Creole of Color plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson
Born: March 17, 1862, New Orleans, LA
Died: March 1, 1925, Metairie, LA
Nationality: American
Political party: Republican Party
Parents: Joseph Adolphe Plessy, Rosa Debergue Pl -
how it all started
The Committee of Citizens persuaded Homer Plessy to violate the law for the purpose of getting arrested so that a court case would begin where the "Separate Car Act" law could be challanged. Homer Plessy was seven-eighths white and one-eighth black, and that meant he was a black by the State of Louisiana.One day in June 7, 1892 Homer Plessy boarded a "whites only" car in New Orleans and refused to leave when asked to move to the blacks-only car. -
train
•An interesting fact is that the railroad company itself was opposed to separate cars for black people due to the high cost required to purchase additional railcars. The Committee of Citizens group, thinking ahead, had hired a private detective with the legal right to arrest violators of laws; in case the railroad did not take action when Plessy refused to leave the whites-only car. The Committee and Plessy wanted an arrest so that a court case could begin. -
the supreme court
The Committee of Citizens appealed the case to the United States Supreme Court and beginning in April of 1896 the US Supreme Court heard the case.•The United States Supreme Court ruled against Plessy stating that the Louisiana "Separate Car Act" law did not discriminate against blacks and therefore was not a violation of Plessy's rights under the 14th amendment of the U.S. Constitution. -
the supreme court
The court noted that the quality of Louisiana's whites-only and blacks-only railway cars were equal. This may have been true but the decision perpetrated separate facilities, including public bathrooms, restaurants, and public schools most of which were far inferior for black people. -
turgood marshall
The one dissenting judge, John Marshall Harlan, perhaps summed up the injustice of the decision best with his statement "our constitution is color-blind.... the law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved." -
the plessy vs ferguson
The Plessy vs Ferguson decision would eventually be overruled a long 58 years later with the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. -
Racial discrimination
This decision would allow for racial discrimination based on separation of the races to continue for decades until finally changed by the Supreme Court's decision in the Brown v. Board of Education 1954 case which overruled the decision in the Plessy vs Ferguson case. -
Separate Car Act
In 1890 a law titled The "Separate Car Act" was passed in the state of Louisiana. This law required separate railway cars for black and white train passengers. -
separate but equal
the U.S. Supreme Court started the "separate but equal" law in 1996
