Passenger segregation

1989
south africa

Passenger segregation refers to the practice of separating individuals based on their race, ethnicity, or other characteristics, within certain spaces or facilities, particularly in transportation systems. This practice has historically been used to enforce racial or social hierarchies and maintain racial or ethnic separation.

Passenger segregation has been employed in various transportation systems, including buses, trains, and airplanes. It has been particularly associated with the era of racial segregation in the United States during the 19th and 20th centuries, where laws mandated separate seating or designated areas for Black and White passengers.

In the United States, the groundbreaking legal case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 ruled that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This landmark decision had far-reaching implications for the dismantling of segregation in other areas, including transportation. Following the Civil Rights Movement and passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the practice of passenger segregation was officially abolished in the United States.

While passenger segregation is no longer legally mandated in many countries, there are instances of de facto segregation or discrimination based on race or ethnicity that can occur in certain transportation systems or settings. Efforts are ongoing to ensure equal treatment and eradicate any forms of discrimination in transportation.

Further reading

Pirie G.H. (1989) "A most difficult and delicate question: racial segregation on the Central South African Railways, 1902 10", Journal of Transport History, 10(2), pp. 113-127. . DOI: 10.1177/002252668901000204