Read the excerpt from a supporting opinion of the Supreme Court’s ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson.

Question

If the civil and political rights of both races be equal, one cannot be inferior to the other civilly or politically. If one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane.

How does this relate to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education?
The Brown case questions whether separate schools based on race inherently render one inferior to the other.
The Brown case questions whether educators treat students differently based on their race.
The Brown case addresses whether separate entrances and water fountains suggest that one race is inferior to another.
The Brown case addresses whether separate schools hinder the political and intellectual potential of certain citizens.

Answer 1

The excerpt from the supporting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson suggests that social inferiority can justify separate treatment under the law, implying that the Constitution cannot legislate equality if one race is deemed socially inferior. This line of reasoning directly challenges the premises in Brown v. Board of Education, which fundamentally questions whether separate schools based on race inherently render one group inferior to another.

Given this context, the most relevant statement regarding how the excerpt relates to the premises of Brown v. Board of Education is:

The Brown case questions whether separate schools based on race inherently render one inferior to the other.

This premise examines the core issue of segregation in education and whether it creates an inherently unequal environment that violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.