Comité des Citoyens (Committee of Citizens)

Definition

The Comité des Citoyens was a civil rights organization formed in 1891 in New Orleans, Louisiana, aimed at challenging the constitutionality of racial segregation laws. It is best known for its role in the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson case which upheld the doctrine of "separate but equal," significantly impacting civil rights and legal segregation in the United States.

Related terms

Plessy v. Ferguson:

A landmark 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld state racial segregation laws for public facilities under the doctrine of "separate but equal."

Jim Crow Laws: Laws enacted by southern states, lasting from the late 19th century into the 1960s, that mandated racial segregation in all public facilities, establishing a "separate but equal" status for African Americans.

Civil Rights Movement:

A decades-long struggle by African Americans and their allies to end legalized racial discrimination, disenfranchisement, and racial segregation in the United States