Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1896 that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine. The case stemmed from an incident in which Homer Plessy, a man of mixed race, refused to sit in a designated "colored" railway car in Louisiana and was arrested.

The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson solidified the legal basis for segregation in public facilities, such as schools, transportation, and other institutions, leading to the proliferation of Jim Crow laws throughout the United States. The ruling had far-reaching consequences for racial equality and civil rights, perpetuating systemic racism and discrimination against African Americans for decades.

Plessy v. Ferguson was not overturned until the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, which declared that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The repercussions of Plessy v. Ferguson continue to be felt in the fight for racial equality and social justice in America.