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Case File#2: Investigating "Separate but Equal" - Comparing Schools in the Five Cases
Background: The 1896 Supreme Court case known as Plessy v. Ferguson established a legal precedent that institutionalized the concept of “separate but equal”. The African American plaintiff, Homer Plessy, argued that separate cars on trains for people of color were unfair. However, Supreme Court decided that provided the facilities for African Americans were substantially equal, separation of races in public facilities was constitutional. Many states followed the Supreme Court’s lead and created laws that either made segregation mandatory or allowed it in some circumstances. Segregation in public schools varied with state and regional laws. In the South, the idea of “separate but equal” became a rigid legal and social barrier to African Americans. Your team task is to research the schools involved in the five cases and compare the facilities made available to the white students with those available to African Americans. The question your team will need to answer is whether the public schools were providing “separate but equal” facilities for all students prior to the Brown v. Board of Education decision. Your team task is to: Learn about the history of each of the cases Research the quality of the school facilities in each of the cases Gather evidence of inequalities between school facilities for white students and African American students Identify the people who initiated or were involved in the five cases Analyze the Supreme Court's decision on the case Determine as a group whether "separate or equal" only applied to physical structures or facilities such as schools, restaurants, and public transportion or did "separate but equal" have a larger social or political effect? Team Member #1: Internet Researcher Your task is to review the websites provided in your “virtual case file” to learn about the schools and people involved with the five cases. Make sure you understand the issues concerning the schools and people involved in the five cases well enough to help your teammates answer your task questions. You will gather digital images and data that will be used to create your team presentation. Fill in the missing data from your case file with information collected from the internet sites provided. Click here for your “virtual case file”. Team Member #2: Primary Document/Library Researcher Your task is to study the primary documents and secondary library resources to gather information for your team's project. You have a case file packed with reproduction primary documents and library materials which will provide enough information to fill in the enclosed worksheet. You will also assist in collecting and analyzing information for your team presentation. Team Member #3: Museum Exhibit Researcher Your task is to study information from the exhibits and audio-visuals provided in the museum galleries to complete the worksheet provided in your case file. You will also be responsible for gathering and analyzing Next > Photo by Cecil Williams, Smithsonian National Museum of American History