Rustin's 1947 court case opposing denial of access to a segregated dining car became part of the growing legal resistance that laid groundwork for major civil rights advances.
After WWII, Black activists increasingly challenged segregation in interstate travel. Rustin's 1947 case was part of a wave of legal and direct action following major Supreme Court decisions such as Morgan v. Virginia (1946), that outlawed forced segregation on interstate buses and trains. These early efforts tested enforcement, built legal precedent, and set the stage for broader desegregation victories, including Brown v. Board of Education.
Rustin, Bayard. Court record, September 16, 1948. 1947 court case challenging segregated train dining cars. National Archives. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/rustin.html?_ga=2.241873474.11119630.1750257370-660760283.1748978415#document.
