Question

changing views on equal access
which statement represents the key difference between the courts view of equal access in plessy and its view in brown?

• the court shifted from opposing legal segregation to supporting it.
• the court shifted from saying that segregation was legal to saying that any laws made based on race would be subject to careful judicial scrutiny.
• the court shifted from arguing that african americans were entitled to legal protection to arguing that they were not.
• the court shifted from actively discouraging racial segregation to actively encouraging it.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the Court's views in Plessy v. Ferguson (which upheld "separate but equal," allowing legal segregation) and later cases (like Brown v. Board of Education or others with strict scrutiny for race - based laws).

• Option 1: Plessy supported legal segregation, so a shift to opposing it (not supporting) is wrong.
• Option 2: Plessy said segregation was legal (with "separate but equal"). Later, the Court used strict scrutiny for race - based laws, meaning laws based on race would be carefully examined. This matches the shift.
• Option 3: Both eras recognized African Americans' legal protection, so this is incorrect.
• Option 4: The Court never actively encouraged racial segregation, so this is wrong.

Answer:

The Court shifted from saying that segregation was legal to saying that any laws made based on race would be subject to careful judicial scrutiny.