Both legal and societal obstacles prevented southern blacks from gaining political and economic equality in the late 19th century. In 1896, the Supreme Court iallowed "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites; thus, the legal construction of separate schools and other facilities was allowed. In spite of the fact that black schools were supposed to be equal to those of whites, they actually were underfunded and inferior to those of whites. Blacks did not have access to quality education.
Moreover, blacks were not allowed to vote, through measures such as poll taxes and literacy tests. Blacks also did not have the means to improve their lot economically, due to the fact that they were employed as domestics (maids) or sharecroppers
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Besides, they did not own their own lands.
