Read the passage.

We consider the underlying fallacy of the plaintiff’s argument to consist in the assumption that the enforced separation of the two races stamps the colored race with a badge of inferiority. If this be so, it is not by reason of anything found in the act, but solely because the colored race chooses to put that construction upon it. . . . The argument also assumes that social prejudices may be overcome by legislation, and that equal rights cannot be secured . . . except by an enforced commingling of the two races. . . . If the civil and political rights of both races be equal, one cannot be inferior to the other civilly or politically. If one race be inferior to the other socially, the Constitution of the United States cannot put them upon the same plane.

–Majority opinion of the US Supreme Court,
Plessy v. Ferguson,
1896

Which statement best describes the US Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment in Plessy v. Ferguson?
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law; separation by race creates a condition of inequality and is not permissible.
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law; segregation laws are permissible as long as penalties for violating those laws do not differ based on race.
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law; segregation is legal, however, because African Americans are not citizens of the United States, so the Fourteenth Amendment does not apply.
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law; as long as equal facilities are provided, it is permissible for them to be segregated.

The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law; as long as equal facilities are provided, it is permissible for them to be segregated.

Explanation:

- "the civil rights movements"

- "following the american civil war and abolition of slavery, the united states entered a period known as reconstruction, during which black americans continued to suffer from disenfranchisement, racial segregation, and economic oppression. beginning in the early 1950's, black americans launched a series of major campaigns of civil resistance, emphasizing the need for nonviolent protests and civil disobedience."

"such as the montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56, a campaign launched by rosa parks against the policy of racial segregation of the public transit system in alabama. “sit-ins” became popular across the american south, particularly in greensboro, north carolina, increase national sentiment."

- "the counterculture movement"

- "counterculture began to develop in the united states following the rise of conformity in american culture during the 1950s. by 1963, youth, particularly those of the white middle class, began rejecting the cultural standards and normality of their parents, opting for progressive attitudes instead. the movement gained momentum as the civil rights movement became increasingly successful and as the u.s. military intervention of vietnam began to take a negative turn."

"hippie counterculture moved further into popular culture following the summer of love in 1967 when thousands of people came together in the haight-ashbury neighborhood of san francisco. along with greenwich village in new york city, haight-ashbury became a hub for the counterculture movement."