EOTO Mock Trial #2

 In the year 1896, a major event was the Plessy V Ferguson court case but nobody really talks about what life was like for the people living through these historic times. I am mainly focusing on what schools were like during this time. Blacks and whites were separated by law for basically everything: transportation, public accommodations, churches, recreational facilities, cemeteries, and schools. Before the civil war ended, the education of slaves was a crime. When education for black people finally became legal, schools were very poorly funded and overall ignored. Children were put in very harsh conditions to simply receive the bare minimum education.

As you can see in the photo above, these schools were extremely crowded and lacked the right amount of teachers for the amount of kids attending these schools. These children were lacking the basic school supplies and materials that assist children in being as successful as possible. These schools lacking the proper and fair amount of funding really affected the quality of education that these children were receiving. These children had to work especially hard in these already tough conditions to be able to succeed. Because of the amount of students and the lack of teachers, the kids were not able to receive the necessary one on one time with a teacher, making it more difficult. The Plessy V Ferguson court case outcome was that segregation was legal and this includes schools. This ruling did not help these under-educated children to receive the proper education. It was not until 1954 when the Supreme Court finally made public schooling open to all races.