This landmark case was reported in the N.Y. Times not on the front page but in “News of the Railroads”

The Final Jeopardy clue for Tuesday, February 18, 2025, came from the category Supreme Court Decisions and read: “This landmark case was reported in the N.Y. Times not on the front page but in ‘News of the Railroads.’”

What is Plessy v. Ferguson?

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) was a pivotal Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal.” The case originated in Louisiana, where a man named Homer Plessy, who was of mixed racial heritage, deliberately violated the state’s segregation laws by sitting in a “whites-only” railroad car. He was arrested, and his case was taken to court as a test of the constitutionality of segregation.

Plessy argued that the Louisiana law mandating separate railway cars for Black and white passengers violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. However, the Supreme Court ruled against him in a 7-1 decision, stating that racial segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities were equal in quality. This ruling provided legal justification for segregation and racial discrimination across the United States for decades.

The Surprising Placement in the News

Despite its far-reaching implications, the New York Times did not report the Plessy v. Ferguson decision prominently. Instead, the case appeared in the “News of the Railroads” section, an indication of how the ruling was initially viewed as a matter of transportation regulation rather than a defining civil rights issue. This placement reflected the legal framing of the case at the time—one concerning railway seating policies rather than the broader implications for racial justice.

Only later did historians and legal scholars recognize the full significance of the ruling. The decision entrenched segregationist policies and contributed to the rise of Jim Crow laws in the South, which enforced racial discrimination in public facilities, education, and even voting rights.

The Long-Term Impact of the Ruling

For nearly six decades, Plessy v. Ferguson remained the legal foundation for racial segregation in the United States. The “separate but equal” doctrine allowed states to continue discriminatory practices under the guise of legality. Public facilities for Black Americans were often far inferior to those designated for white citizens, despite the Court’s assertion that they were “equal.”

The ruling influenced numerous laws and court cases throughout the early 20th century. It was not until 1954 that the Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education, overturned Plessy by ruling that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The decision in Brown marked the beginning of the end for legally sanctioned racial segregation in the U.S.

The Legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson

Today, Plessy v. Ferguson is widely regarded as one of the most infamous decisions in Supreme Court history. The ruling serves as a reminder of how the judicial system can both reinforce and dismantle systemic injustice. Homer Plessy himself was posthumously pardoned by the state of Louisiana in 2022, symbolizing the country’s recognition of the injustice he faced.

While the case was originally tucked away in a newspaper’s transportation section, its impact on American society was profound. It shaped civil rights battles for generations and remains a key example of how Supreme Court decisions can have consequences far beyond their immediate legal context.