The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court rejected Charles Sumner’s argument in Roberts v. City of Boston, a lawsuit filed on behalf of Sarah Roberts, a young Black girl denied access to white public schools. The court ruled that racially segregated schools were constitutional, establishing an early version of the “separate but equal” doctrine. This precedent influenced future segregation laws and was cited in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), delaying integration efforts for decades.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
