What landmark case is associated with Homer Plessy, who challenged racial segregation?

The landmark case associated with Homer Plessy is Plessy v. Ferguson. This 1896 Supreme Court decision upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws for public facilities, based on the doctrine of "separate but equal." Homer Plessy, who was of mixed race, deliberately violated Louisiana's segregation laws by sitting in a "whites-only" railroad car. His subsequent arrest led to a legal challenge that went all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Court's ruling established a legal precedent that allowed states to maintain segregated facilities as long as they were deemed "equal" in quality. This case legitimized racial segregation for decades and was not overturned until the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954. Plessy v. Ferguson is crucial in understanding the legal framework of racial discrimination in the United States, illustrating how the judiciary played a significant role in enforcing segregation.