Key Facts
- Year Decided
- 1896
- Vote
- 7-1
- Category
- Civil Rights
Summary
Upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Legalized Jim Crow laws for nearly 60 years. Overturned by Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
Related Cases (Civil Rights)
Dred Scott v. Sandford
1857Vote: 7-2
Ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no standing to sue.
Brown v. Board of Education
1954Vote: 9-0
Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson.
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States
1964Vote: 9-0
Congress can use the Commerce Clause to prohibit racial discrimination in private businesses.
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
1978Vote: 5-4
Race can be a factor in college admissions but racial quotas are unconstitutional.