Homer Plessy was an "Octoroon" Above is a picture of him. How does the picture indicate he wantedto be kicked off the train? What strategy is being employed here? Drop a note in your dropbox.
As you read this decision of the Supreme Court, notice that it comes in two parts. The majority of the court makes the decision on a law's constitutionality. Every judge who disagrees may post a minority position. In this case, only onejudge dissented. The dissent becomes part of the court record and may be used to overturn the constitutionality of the law as decided by an earlier court. This happened in a case we'll look at a bit later. Oddly enough, the Majority decision was written by a Northerner from Massachusetts, and the Dissenting Opinion by a Southerner from Kentucky. You can find more about them by clicking on the scrolling image above.
As you think and mark up this document. Think about these things.
Compare the two opinions. Do they speak to each other or ignore each other? If they do speak to each other, use different colored highlights to mark those which do respond to each other, i.e. If there is an argument which does answer the other mark it in blue. Mark the next in yellow, and so on.
After reading the arguments, in your opinion which makes the strongest argument, the winning side or the losing side? What does this suggest to you about racism back in the day.
Do we still face some of the issues in our day (I don't mean necessarily in court cases, but "on the street"). If you think so, then make a comment reflecting your thoughts.
Ida Wells Barnett was born in the south during the civil war, and made it to the north where she made her home in Chicago, in a section known as Bronzeville, because so many African Americans lived there. There is an image of it below, courtesy of Google Maps. Chicago is still heavily segregated. you can take a walk around, and see some of the buildings Ida Wells Barnett probably saw during her latter years
As you read these two documents, I'd like to have you have a notebook near you, and record your thoughts what it might have been like to live in this era. Try to see if from both a white perspective and an African American Perspective. Type up your notes when you're done, and upload them into your dropbox.
Also, Google Hate Crimes 2016, and look under news. What do you find? You might find some interesting things under videos, as well.IF you do, put links to them in your resource folder. We'll watch a program on a web site entitled"Without Sanctuary"
