Ples ‧ sey v. Fer ‧ gu ‧ son /ˌplesi vɜːsəs ˈfɜːɡəs ə n $ -vɜːrsəs ˈfɜːr-/ BrE AmE
a decision by the US Supreme Court in 1896 that the ↑ segregation (=separation) of African Americans and white Americans was legal, as long as African Americans were given services, such as schools or restaurants, that were described as SEPARATE BUT EQUAL services. The decision specifically concerned segregation on trains, but led in some states to separate schools, hotels, restaurants, and seats in theatres, buses etc. The decision made in the famous court case of Plessey v. Ferguson was changed in 1954 by the Supreme Court's decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.