Jim Crow Laws: These were state and local laws enacted after Reconstruction in the late 19th century that enforced racial segregation in public facilities throughout the South.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): This Supreme Court case established the "separate but equal" doctrine, which allowed for racially segregated facilities as long as they were deemed to be of equal quality.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): In this landmark Supreme Court case, racial segregation in public schools was declared unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine and paving the way for desegregation efforts.