Racial segregation laws were state and local legislation enacted during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that enforced the separation of different racial groups in public facilities, schools, transportation, housing, and other areas of society.
Related terms
Brown v. Board of Education: A landmark Supreme Court decision in 1954 that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.
De jure segregation: Racial segregation mandated by law or government policy.
Civil Rights Act of 1964: Landmark legislation outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in various aspects of American life.