A word from Ferguson's Side

Plessy v Ferguson was a famous court case regarding segregation. In class this past week, we did a mock trial re enacting the trial. My group was on Ferguson's side defending slavery. This was one argument that was discussed during our trial about why we need slavery.

If African Americans and whites always cause conflict, why continue to try to keep them together? The preservation of public peace and good order is needed for the absence of conflict between the two races. Segregation is beneficial to keep from the uprising of conflict. Both races have full access to separate facilities, living spaces, and services that are equal. The separate but equal clause gives full equality to both races. If Homer Plessy would have made the right decision to sit in his assigned train car, then there wouldn’t have been a problem and he wouldn’t have gone to jail. The African American car is said to be Inferior and that is wrong. Both races are equal, one race is not inferior to the other. The argument was denied that separation of the races by law “stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority.” Saying this, racial prejudice cannot be overcome by enforcing the two races to come together as one. Outlawing segregation would have no benefit in decreasing conflict between the races because it would not eliminate racial prejudice, because such societal beliefs could not be changed simply by changing the law. It is concluded that “if one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution … cannot put them upon the same plane.” Segregation is the best option that will keep away from racial uprisings.

http://landmarkcases.org/en/page/436/summary_of_the_decision

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson