Who was Homer Plessy?

Homer Plessy is best known for his pivotal role in the landmark Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), where he challenged segregation laws in the United States. As a mixed-race man, he was arrested for deliberately sitting in a "whites-only" railroad car in Louisiana, which directly violated the state's segregation laws at the time. This act of civil disobedience was a key moment in the civil rights movement and brought attention to issues of racial discrimination and inequality.

This incident and subsequent legal battle underscored the systemic racism prevalent in society and led to the establishment of the "separate but equal" doctrine, which legitimized many forms of racial segregation for decades. Therefore, identifying Homer Plessy as a black man arrested for sitting in the white carriage on a train accurately encapsulates the most significant aspect of his legacy and the broader socio-political implications of his actions.