Racial segregation is the practice of separating people based on their race or ethnicity. This often means that individuals from different racial backgrounds are forced to live in different neighborhoods, attend separate schools, or use different public facilities. For example, during the Jim Crow era in the United States, laws enforced segregation, leading to significant inequalities in education, housing, and employment opportunities.
The effects of racial segregation can be long-lasting and harmful. It creates divisions within communities and reinforces stereotypes and discrimination. Efforts to combat segregation, such as the Civil Rights Movement, aimed to promote equality and ensure that all individuals, regardless of race, have access to the same rights and opportunities.