The landmark legal case Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 endorsed the principles of segregation in public facilities. The Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation was constitutional, establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine, which legitimized discriminatory laws enforced across southern states. This decision provided a legal foundation for the widespread implementation of Jim Crow laws, which institutionalized racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans. Despite subsequent civil rights advancements, Plessy v. Ferguson effectively upheld systemic racism in the United States for decades, contributing to social divisions and reinforcing the need for future civil rights activism to dismantle segregation and promote equality.