Your donation supports the Plessy & Ferguson Foundation’s continuing work to help mend the damage caused by the ‘separate but equal decision’ which denied African Americans’ access to quality education, public accommodations, and full participation as U.S. citizens for generations.

125 Years of History

Plessy v. Ferguson was a lawsuit that began when Homer Plessy boarded the whites only section of a Louisiana railroad car in 1892 in a carefully planned act of civil disobedience. The case ended with the 1896 Supreme Court decision that stated that "separate but equal" was acceptable under the Constitution, underpinning Jim Crow laws; a precedent that remained in force until the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision. But the struggle for equal rights continues today.

13 Years of Service

Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson, are descendants from each side of the historic court case. Now as partners in history, they work together to carry the torch of their shared legacies in the fight for equal rights.

For 13 years, we have created public programs on black history, race and reconciliation and advocated for equity in our public schools. The foundation created the Historical Marker Project that places historical markers honoring African American achievement in New Orleans.

5 Historical Markers

We work with our community partners across the city to highlight important sites of African American history in New Orleans that make up our emerging civil rights trail.

Historical markers commemorating black history in New Orleans include, Plessy v. Ferguson, McDonogh 19 Elementary School, Valena C. Jones Elementary School, the Pythian Temple, and Straight University.

What We Do

PRESERVATION

We consider our historic sites sacred spaces. Creating plaques and monuments to honor the contributions of the African Americans brings deep significance and understanding of historic truths that have not been previously acknowledged in the realm of public history.

EDUCATION

Using the history of Homer Plessy, we encourage students and the public to reflect on their own life experiences around equity and inclusion and to consider how their legacy can be one of inspiration and change.

Through its longstanding partnership with The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts Institute, the Foundation is specifically interested in how the arts can be used to create conversations around race, class, gender and other lines that have historically divided us.

OUTREACH

Through partnership development, speaking engagements, and public forums our objective is to connect local communities to their historic legacies in order to create a greater understanding, respect, and vision for who we are today and who we could be tomorrow.

Get Involved

The Plessy & Ferguson Foundation is a nonprofit civil rights organization started by the descendants of Homer Adolph Plessy and Judge John Howard Ferguson, activists, historians, educators, artists, and local community leaders.

Find out how you can get involved to help us keep doing our work.

propose a historical plaque

If you are aware of a historical site of African American history that is not currently being recognized in New Orleans, get in touch and let us know. Our goal is to help build a civil rights trail that acknowledges all of the important contributions by African Americans to this city.

EVENT & Volunteer opportunities

Planning has begun to celebrate Plessy Day, June 7, 2022. From vendor opportunities to student participation in social media, help us honor our local heroes and activists as we continue the fight for equity and inclusion for all.

All Plessy & Ferguson events, materials, and activities are directly funded by donor, partner, and grant support. Every amount, no matter how small, powers our outreach efforts, educational programming, and preservation work. Join us in the fight for civil rights, racial reconciliation, equality and inclusion with your donation today.