What term describes the policy of separating the races?

• A. Segregation
• B. Integration
• C. Discrimination
• D. Equality

Answer: (A)

Segregation is the policy of keeping the races physically apart through laws and practices. In U.S. history, especially in the Jim Crow era, states required separate facilities for whites and Black Americans—schools, buses, restrooms, and more. The idea was to maintain racial separation as a matter of policy, even though courts sometimes argued facilities could be “separate but equal.” In reality, the separate facilities often were not equal, reflecting the unequal treatment embedded in segregation. Other terms describe different ideas: integration means bringing races together, discrimination is unfair treatment, and equality is about guaranteeing the same rights and opportunities regardless of race. So the best term for the policy of separating the races is segregation.