 Segregation is the practice of keeping ethnic, racial, religious, or gender groups separated.  Establishing Segregation ◦ The Supreme Court declares the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional in 1883 ◦ 1890 Louisiana passes a law requiring railroad companies to provide separate cars for “white and colored races”

 Court case in which the Supreme Court upheld the Louisiana Law of separate but equal railroad cars. ◦ The Plessy Decision sets a prescident that basically legalizes segregation ◦ Segregation become mandatory in the South  There were two phases to the Civil Rights movement: ◦ Phase One: ◦ Phase Two: after 1965

 Black equality became a significant political issue for the Democratic Party  WWII had been fought against racism abroad—hard to keep harboring it at home  Black veterans came home dedicated to change  Increasing number of White Americans condemned segregation  Discrimination in the United States hurt our propaganda battle against the Communists

 Truman’s 1948 election year agenda  No significant Civil Rights legislative agenda  Truman moves on his own to do what he can for Civil Rights  Desegregation of the military (1948)  Jackie Robinson become first Black man to play in the MLB ( Huge breakthrough in the sports world) (1947)

 Smith v. Allwright (1944) ◦ First attack = “separate is not equal”  Court case in May 17, 1954  African American lawyer, Thurgood Marshall Represents Brown ◦ In this case the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was unconstitutional