Together: An Inspiring Response to the “Separate-But-Equal” Supreme Court Decision that Divided America

by Amy Nathan

"An ambitious account of the legacies of Plessy and Ferguson . . . Undeniably timely and representative of the necessary work ahead."―Kirkus Reviews “Amy Nathan’s well-researched and beautifully written book makes clear the history of racism that has kept Black people separate and unequal in U.S. society for so long―and how we today can work to chart a new future. The friendship between Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson, descendants of the antagonists in the infamous Supreme Court decision that cemented racial inequality, Plessy v. Ferguson, demonstrates that ancestry need not be destiny―if we are willing to do the hard work of repair. In Amy Nathan’s capable hands, their intertwined histories come alive, demonstrating one of many paths we can purposefully take towards a more equitable society.”―Leslie M. Harris, Professor of History, Northwestern University, and author of In the Shadow of African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson were both born in New Orleans in 1957. Sixty-five years earlier, in 1892, a member of each of their families met in a Louisiana courtroom when Judge John Howard Ferguson found Homer Plessy guilty of breaking the law by sitting in a train car for white passengers. The case of Plessy v. Ferguson went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that “separate-but-equal” was constitutional, sparking decades of unjust laws and discriminatory attitudes. In Together, Amy Nathan threads the personal stories of Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson into the larger history of the Plessy v. Ferguson case, race relations, and civil rights movements in New Orleans and throughout the U.S. She tells the inspiring tale of how Keith and Phoebe came together to change the ending of the story that links their families in history. It’s “a flip on the script,” said Keith. “I found Together simultaneously fascinating and moving. It is a prime example of how best to engage young people in the study of history―particularly Black history―and of the law. A true story of real people, how the tragedy of the Supreme Court’s 'separate-but-equal' decision (1896) affected them, and how their descendants came together to document the struggle for civil rights in their city and state.”―Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, Senior Circuit Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, and Professor of Law, Antonin Scalia Law School, George Mason University “As a high school teacher and education professor, I’ve always despised history textbooks. They either ignore racial inequities or simplify struggles to change them. They disconnect past from present, leaving youth to ask, 'Why does this matter?' This question will never be asked of Nathan’s Together. In this storied rendering of the fight against segregation, readers come to know the people and places, the dreams, and conflicts that not only shaped past freedom movements, but the actions of descendants who demand justice today. From oral testimony to artistic murals, from family trees to historic markers, Black Lives Matter in these pages. Together is a literary lightning bolt, an anti-racist curriculum that will shake the ground in New Orleans and beyond.”―Kristen Buras, Associate Professor, Georgia State University, and co-author of Pedagogy, Policy, and the Privatized Stories of Dispossession and Defiance from New Orleans “Some of the things I loved about Together are its connections of critical big historic moments to individual personal understandings; its readable summary of Reconstruction; and its theme of ‘inspiring others,’ both the whole concept of descendants coming together to make change, and the way readers can see specif

244 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 9, 2021

About the author

My books cover a wide range of topics, from women's history to dance to allowances to how to make practicing a musical instrument — or doing homework — less of a hassle.

However, all my books have something in common: They introduce you to amazing people whose stories have inspired me and, I hope, will spur you to keep following your dreams, no matter what kinds of obstacles may pop up from time to time that may seem to block your way. These people found ways around the obstacles they encountered. They all have fascinating stories to tell. I'm glad to have had a chance to get to know them so I can share their stories and ideas with you through my books.

With many of the people I write about, I was lucky enough to be able to interview them. I love interviewing people, speaking with them to find out more about what they like to do, how they've handled the different challenges they've faced in their lives, and what advice they have for kids today. I also love reading about people who lived long ago, something I did for COUNT ON US, which tells the story of women who pitched in to defend the nation from the Revolutionary War on. As a kid growing up in Baltimore, my favorite books were biographies and historical fiction. I remember walking down to my neighborhood branch library every week during the summers after fifth, sixth and seventh grades, to check out yet another biography. I also enjoyed seeing plays as a kid, and acting in them too sometimes, which is another great way to see the world from another person’s point of view.

I've learned so much from the people I've written about in my books. I hope their stories — and the advice they have for young people — will help you with challenges you might face. Such people as:

** Astonishing dancers from top ballet and modern dance companies, several of whom didn’t have the stereotypical classical ballet body type, but who still managed to find their way to in the world of dance (you can find out about them in MEET THE DANCERS);
** Outstanding musicians of the New York Philharmonic who, amazingly enough, didn't always like to practice when they were kids and have advice for kids today who may feel that way, too (MEET THE MUSICIANS);
** Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and other classical and jazz soloists, many of whom took a while as kids to get into the groove of regular practicing until they discovered for themselves the joy and the fun of music-making (THE YOUNG MUSICIAN'S SURVIVAL GUIDE);
** Gutsy female pilots who flew fighter planes for the Army in World War II when that was definitely not something most people thought a woman should do (YANKEE DOODLE GALS & COUNT ON US);
** A courageous young woman who stood up for her rights at a lonely bus stop in North Carolina back in the summer of 1952, doing her part in the face of grave danger to help bring about the end of the Jim Crow era (TAKE A SEAT-MAKE A STAND);
** Some mighty clever kids who found ways to make homework less of a chore and uncovered the secret to getting a raise in their allowance THE KIDS' ALLOWANCE BOOK & SURVIVING HOMEWORK).