Place students into small groups, and assign each small group a Supreme Court case that is in some way related to Plessy v. Ferguson. Consider the following cases as options, and add others that relate to the themes of your particular class:

• Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
• Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
• Grutter v. Bollinger 
• Gratz et al v. Bollinger 
• Tape v. Hurley
• Smith v. Allright
• Shelley v. Kraemer
• Strauder v. West Virginia

Each small group should create a 10 minute oral presentation about their case, which they should share with the full class. The presentation should be based on research and include the following components:

• A description of the court case, including the facts of the case, the question the court considered, and the court’s answer to that question
• An explanation of the main points of the majority opinion
• A description of any concurring or dissenting opinions
• An analysis connecting the case to the legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson
• A connection to another historical or current event

Hold a class discussion after all presentations to discuss the overall legacy of Plessy v. Ferguson and the following key question:

• To what extent have legal precedents, including Constitutional amendments and Supreme Court cases, improved Black Americans’ access to civil rights in the United States?