Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case decided in 1896. The case centered around the constitutionality of segregation laws in Louisiana that required separate railway cars for Black and white passengers. Homer Plessy, a mixed-race man, purposely violated the law and was arrested. Plessy argued that the segregation law violated his rights under the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the segregation laws with its "separate but equal" doctrine. This decision effectively legalized racial segregation and discrimination, providing a legal basis for Jim Crow laws and institutionalized racism in the United States for decades.

The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson remained in effect until it was finally overturned by the Supreme Court in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Brown v. Board of Education declared that separate educational facilities for Black and white students were inherently unequal and unconstitutional. Plessy v. Ferguson stands as a dark chapter in American history, highlighting the ongoing struggle for racial equality and justice in the United States.