In 1896 the Supreme Court decision of Plessy vs. Ferguson, the court validated what practice in the South?

The Supreme Court decision of Plessy vs. Ferguson in 1896 validated the practice of racial segregation in the South. The ruling established the doctrine of "separate but equal," which allowed for racial segregation in public facilities as long as the separate facilities for the races were considered equal. This decision effectively upheld laws that enforced segregation and discrimination against African Americans, leading to widespread inequalities in education, transportation, and other public services. The ruling was a significant moment in the legal history of the United States, as it provided a constitutional basis for Jim Crow laws and the systemic oppression of black Americans until the Civil Rights Movement led to its eventual overturning in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education.