How did they know Homer Plessy was black?

Homer Plessy was a French-speaking Creole from Louisiana who was best known to be the plaintiff in the United States Supreme Court decision Plessy v. Ferguson.

How did they know Homer Plessy was black?

Homer Plessy deliberately set himself up to battle unjust law against blacks. He joined a group of citizens who wanted to challenge an unfair law of segregation against blacks.

He boarded a “whites only” railroad car, handed over his ticket and told the conductor that he was one-eighth black. He claimed that his great grandmother was African, however, he looked very white, like a caucasian.

After refusing to get off the car to join the “black only” railroad car, the conductor got him arrested for violating the 1890 Louisiana Separate Car Law.

He was charged to pay a $500 bond before he was able to get out of jail. His actions went on to create the Civic Rights Movement.