“I think Plessy v. Ferguson was right and should be re-affirmed.” “To the argument … that a majority may not deprive a minority of its constitutional right, the answer must be made that while this is sound in theory, in the long run it is the majority who will determine what the constitutional rights of the minority are.”–William Rehnquist, Supreme Court Clerk, 1952.
Plessy v. Ferguson is a notorious case that affirmed the constitutionality of racial segregation. In a memo to Justice Jackson, Rehnquist urged the Justice to uphold segregation and rebuke the plaintiffs in Brown v. Board of Education.
Filed under: Uncategorized
