Team Reagan: Plessy v Ferguson Overview

“On June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy bought a first-class ticket at the Press Street Depot and boarded a "whites only" car of the East Louisiana Railroad in New Orleans, Louisiana, bound for Covington, Louisiana.^”

For this moot court, I was arguing the side of Homer Plessy. This was a challenge for many reasons, but the most challenging of all was the fact that I was arguing the losing side. Historically, the Supreme Court ruled against Plessy and enacted the “ Separate but Equal” doctrine.

The points that I tried to argue were: that he legally bought the ticket, the illegal issuing of the law because of the Interstate Commerce Law and the fact that “separate but equal” is inherently unequal.

From what I read, he was sold the ticket while they had the knowledge of his racial lineage. He was on that train just like everyone else, he bought the ticket and he deserved to ride on that train. It was not his fault that the train company sold him the ticket.

The train lines crossed over the state lines, ergo it fell under the interstate commerce clause and its regulations. The state of Louisiana had no right to make or enforce a law that infringes on passengers rights to ride a train that crossed over state bounds, only Congress has those powers.

“Separate but Equal” caused the creation of de jure segregation. This caused a whole new wave of racial tension and belittlement that was legally supported that lasted until the Brown v Board of Ed case in 1954. 

In hindsight, it is obvious of unfair this case really was, but in that time the legislation supported the racist nature of the laws and the courts decision to uphold them.