Descendants of a divisive Supreme Court decision unite

When Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson decided to start a new civil rights education organization that would bear their famous names, they sealed the deal in a fitting local spot: Cafe Reconcile.

They represent the opposing principals in one of the Supreme Court’s landmark decisions, Plessy v. Ferguson , which upheld the constitutionality of Jim Crow laws mandating segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine. It stood from 1896 until the court’s historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling in 1954.

The descendent of the man who tested Louisiana’s law requiring separate railroad cars for whites and blacks and the great-great-granddaughter of the judge who upheld it met in 2004.

The truth is, no reconciliation was required.

“The first thing I said to her,” recalled Plessy, “was, ‘Hey, it’s no longer Plessy versus Ferguson. It’s Plessy and Ferguson.’ ”

Her first reaction was to apologize.

“I don’t know why,” she said in an interview. “It’s just that I felt the burden of it, this great injustice.”

Plessy’s response?

“I said, ‘You weren’t alive during that time. I wasn’t either. It’s time for us to change that whole image.’ ”

Full Washington Post Article

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One Response to Descendants of a divisive Supreme Court decision unite

  1. Stefanie says:

    I remember studying this case in high cchool. We had to do a presentation on it and I remember spending a whole weekend doing a claymation (a la SNL Mr. Bill) for my presentation. I had a great time with our brand new video camera (and playing with the clay and our train set). I got an A+.

    I don't own a video camera today. And, I haven't since high school. But, it's on my list of things I'd like to buy someday. 🙂

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