INTRODUCTION

Americans have an enduring faith in the inevitability of progress. Our popular fiction frequently celebrates the American epic as a determined march toward justice and equality. But experience should temper our confidence and optimism. In the area of race relations, in particular, Americans history is replete with dark chapters in which minorities suffered disastrous setbacks -- when the future held no more promise than the past. Rather than ignore these tragic failures of the American promise, we need to examine their history in ways that illuminate solutions to contemporary problems.

Most Americans would be surprised to learn that racial discrimination in public facilities and schools was banned over a century ago by the Louisiana Constitution of 1868. Remarkably, African Americans had won full rights and privileges of citizenship nearly a century before the 1964 Civil Rights Act. But the victory was short-lived. In 1896 the U.S. Supreme Court ended any hope of racial progress through its Plessy v. Ferguson decision, the landmark decision that legalized segregation by establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine.

This discussion guide examines the events that contributed to the devastating reversal of black rights in the 19th century, and asks a simple question: Is America once again retreating from its commitment to equality? What were the forces that acted to destroy civil equality in the 1800's, and are similar forces are at work today?

The first two readings are historical background on the Plessy decision and the campaign by the NAACP to reverse it. The last two readings are conflicitng opinion essays that explore recent Supreme Court decisions that interpret the constitution as a "color blind." These thoughtful essays examine the impact of this interpretation on minorities, particularly in the area of affirmative action.

This discussion guide is companion piece to the conference, When the Future Was the Past: The Plessy Decision and its Aftermath. The conference was held May 17-18, 1996 in New Orleans, where the Plessy case originated. The guide is intended for use by community groups and schools as a way of bringing historical understanding to contemporary problems.

Lance Hill
Executive Director
Southern Institute for Education and Research
Tulane University

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