De facto segregation refers to the separation or isolation of racial groups in schools, housing, or other social settings that occurs as a result of societal patterns and practices rather than by explicit laws or policies.
Related terms
Jim Crow Laws: These were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States.
Brown v. Board of Education: This landmark Supreme Court case declared that separate public schools for Black and White students were unconstitutional, challenging de jure (legal) segregation.
Civil Rights Movement: A social movement in the 1950s and 1960s aimed at ending racial discrimination and securing equal rights for African Americans.