Separate But Equal: The Plessy Case (Part 1)

Separate But Equal: The Plessy Case (Part 1)

From This Day (An America 250 History Show) by Jody Avirgan & Radiotopia

May 5, 2026 · 46 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v Ferguson and its implications for civil rights in America.

For the eighteenth installment of “50 Weeks That Shaped America” we talk about a landmark Supreme Court case, Plessy v Ferguson, which in 1896 codified the idea of “separate but equal” accomodations for Black and White Americans. We trace the brief moment during Reconstruction when Black citizens in the South gained real rights, and how legislatures and White power structures began to push back. Then we discuss the case itself and the impact of the ruling, including the lone dissent. Join our America250 newsletter community ! Subscribe for free to get the latest news and analysis of how America250 is playing out. Paying subscribers get access to early, ad-free versions of the show. Plus bonus features throughout the year. To support our work and get access to everything, subscribe now . This Day is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX. Your support helps foster independent, artist-owned podcasts and award-winning stories. If you want to support the show directly, you can do so on our website: ThisDayPod.com Get in touch if you have any ideas for future topics, or just want to say hello. Follow us on social @thisdaypod Our team: Jacob Feldman, Researcher/Producer; Khawla Nakua…

People in this episode

Host: Jody Avirgan

Topics covered

  • Supreme Court
  • Plessy v Ferguson
  • separate but equal
  • Reconstruction
  • civil rights
  • legal history

Keywords

  • Plessy v Ferguson
  • separate but equal
  • Supreme Court
  • civil rights
  • Reconstruction
  • 1896
  • legal history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Radiotopia

Places: South

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