De Jure Segregation
The separation of races by law
Real World Example
De jure segregation refers to the legal separation of races, which was prevalent in the United States, especially in the South, before and during the Civil Rights Movement between 1954 and 1968. It was a response to racial discrimination and aimed to enforce the idea of "separate but equal," although the facilities and services for Black people were usually inferior. This legal segregation was challenged by the Civil Rights Movement, leading to landmark decisions like Brown v. Board of Education, which declared segregated schools unconstitutional. Today, while de jure segregation is illegal, its effects linger through de facto segregation, where racial divides exist due to historical and socioeconomic factors. For example, some neighborhoods still have schools with predominantly one race due to historical housing patterns, affecting educational equity and community diversity.
