In response to the infamous Plessy v Ferguson supreme court case, Justice John Marshall Harlen wrote his dissent. This is a written document expressing disagreement with the majority’s ruling.
In Justice Harlan’s dissent, he explained that everyone has a fundamental right to take action when they deem an action made by the government as wrong. Therefore, this is a valid case that should be considered carefully.
Justice Harlan also notes that in practice, segregation laws are clearly meant to exclude blacks from services meant for whites. Not the other way around. Furthermore, whites may see themselves as superior, however, that is not supported in writing in the law. Thus, it would infringe on personal liberty to enforce segregation based on skin color alone.
In all, Justice Harlan says that we can’t praise freedom as a country when not everyone is given equal rights. I believe this is a very strong argument and probably ahead of its time.
I think Justice Harlan’s dissent was very important to share as it helped spread awareness and grow the popularity of integration. Today, his ideas would be embraced as we move forward to an even more inclusive society.
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