The role played by the United States' Supreme Court in obtaining equality for Black Americans was one of immense stature. The Supreme Court is the court that can only consider federal questions, or anything to do with federal law. Since obtaining equality for Blacks was such a trivial process and the legislation that was involved was open to much interpretation, much responsibility rested with the Supreme Court from 1896 to 1996 in determining what rights Blacks should have. With the end of the American Civil War, Blacks were granted their freedom however they were still inferior to whites with legal enactments such as the Black Codes. As time went on, Blacks were continually discriminated against, especially in states south of the Mason Dixon Line (the Southern states that had believed in slavery). As time progressed and more liberal thinkers were added to the Supreme Court, Blacks began receiving status almost equal to whites.
U.S. circuit judges Robert Katzmann, Damon Keith, ...
U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (LO...
English: Plessy v Ferguson plaque, Press Street, N...The focus of this paper is to show just how big and invaluable of an effect that the Supreme Court had on granting Blacks the rights that were enjoyed by whites, and through test cases surpassed any notion of it attempting to constrain the Black race as an inferior one.
White Americans found themselves superior to Blacks for various reasons, and as a result of this of this notion of superiority, they felt it necessary to discriminate against Blacks. This unequal treatment resulted in harsh living conditions for Blacks. Legal enactments such as the Black Codes and concepts such Social Darwinism all contributed to this. As a result, Blacks could be forced to live in designated areas of cities, they were limited in their choices for careers, they could be forced into labor contracts and they were also subject to be considered "vagrants." This meant that...