Segregation DBQ

Segregation was a highly prominent issue in the early 1950s. It was heavily enforced and integrated into one’s daily life. The education system was severely biased, public services often refused to attend to African Americans. For instance, most were forced out of their seats on buses or denied entry into restaurants, simply due to the color of their skin. Although this behavior was deemed unconstitutional it still continued in southern states. The ability to get away with segregation was heavily abused by businesses and law officials, who often went out of their way to defend their acts or let their actions go without explanation.
No form of authority or system should be able to infringe basic human rights, services, or laws without consequences.
For example, source A states Constitutional laws prohibiting slavery and ensuring equal rights had not stopped or ended racial segregation at the time. This shows that the general public, and law officials, had no intentions to change their ways. This also shows that the laws were not heavily enforced and their addition in the Constitution had no effect on issues related to such at the time. Furthermore, in source C the court determined racial segregation was acceptable and legal as long as the facilities were ‘equal’. This shows that the rules regarding segregation were contradicting to be deemed passable, as there is no way to make segregation equal or fair. This also shows that there were various attempts made to keep segregation legal in most southern states. This also contradicts most efforts to debunk the law’s unfair intentions.
If public schools and services were equal, segregation would not have been an issue or heavily enforced at the time.
For example, in source C the state of Louisiana said mandated segregation did not suggest blacks were inferior to whites, therefore making it legal. Many could support this statement, saying segregation did not affect a person’s equal rights, although it was made for the sole purpose of doing so. In addition, nine African American students — labeled the Little Rock Nine — were legally allowed to attend a previously all-white high school where they were publicly harassed by their peers and the community. According to source B, the Governor of Arkansas, Orval Faubus, mobilized the state’s national government to keep the nine students off the school grounds contradicting his previous claims of maintaining order. This shows that the state government did not wish to grant the students equal opportunities for education. This also shows the state officials did not feel the need to follow or backup their claims as they knew a majority of the community or law officials would not question or go against these orders. Segregation laws were untouchable for decades, as many were reluctant to embrace equality and the potential benefits of its
inclusion.
Segregation is not acceptable, nor related to equality. As previously mentioned it was enforced as a hindrance, typically due to the color of one’s skin, ancestry, or social class.
For example, Rosa Parks, as an African American woman, was fined and arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat for a Caucasian male passenger. She believed public transportation seating should be ‘first-come first-serve’, and expressed a distaste for the way this practice was handled according to source A. Her arrest eventually sparked a movement that changed the United States. This movement was supported by a wide variety of people, and much to the transportation company’s demise, they saw a severe drop in profit. This shows that people, regardless or background of heritage, can make a change if they stand up for what they believe is right. This also shows that most southern state’s arguments against segregation were unpleasant as many people of color were severely discriminated against in a multitude of scenarios. In addition, several decades prior another issue regarding public transportation had a drastic impact on U.S history. A man by the name of Homer Plessy had purchased a first class train ticket. This train cart, however, was reserved for ‘whites-only’. Plessy was ⅛ black by heritage and he was put on trial for violating segregation laws. The state of Louisiana won the trial as they continuously debated the defendant’s lawyers statements regarding unequal treatment. This shows that the court, and judges, did not want to hear Plessy’s side of the story due to his
ethnicity. This also shows that the state of Louisiana, like other southern states, were able to get away with unfair laws and public treatment although it was considered illegal.
In conclusion, numerous southern states and communities were able to bypass laws of the Constitution to justify enforcement of segregation. In many cases, states or businesses would claim services were separate but fair although this was far from the truth. Around this era there were several groups that banned together, despite their differences and racial tensions. They managed to get rid of numerous segregation related issues such as educational disadvantages, as presented in Little Rock, and discrimination amongst public services. Present day, many disapprove of segregation and continue to fight against the approval of it throughout society.