How did Plessy v. Ferguson affect racial segregation in American sports?

The 1896 Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson significantly reinforced racial segregation in American sports by providing a constitutional basis for the "separate but equal" doctrine. While the ruling specifically addressed public facilities, it emboldened state laws and local ordinances, particularly in the South, that explicitly forbade athletic competition between Black and white individuals.1234

This judicial precedent strengthened the existing "gentlemen’s agreement" that had already begun to exclude Black players from professional baseball leagues in the late 19th century. By the dawn of the 20th century, the legal and social environment fostered by Plessy made the separation of races the standard, forcing Black athletes to form their own professional organizations, such as the Negro leagues. This systemic exclusion persisted until the mid-20th century, when the moral hypocrisy of segregation—highlighted by the participation of African Americans in World War II—helped pave the way for the integration of the major leagues, beginning with Jackie Robinson in 1947. The Plessy decision remained a controlling legal precedent until it was finally overturned by the Supreme Court in 1954.4513