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Amberlee Lively
Roster #11
Personal Reflective Definitions #2

1. Personal Definition of Academy: Academy, according to the textbook, is “a new kind of

secondary school” that Benjamin Franklin pondered as a replacement for the Latin

Grammar School. Benjamin Franklin considered this in ​Proposals Relating to the Youth

of Pennsylvania,​ in 1749. Academy, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is a

school above the elementary level in which special subjects or skills are taught. It is

important to note that an academy primarily focuses on special skills, especially with

older individuals. My personal definition of academy would also include the community

that is created. It is not very often that people are grouped together for a very specific

skill or learning opportunity. Therefore, it would be important to discuss the community

aspect of an academy compared to a public school or other place in which education

occurs. Also, academies receive different funds than other institutions, therefore they may

be more likely to have more advanced technology, or an overall better facility.

Research Source: ​https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/academy​ and

https://www.bbc.com/news/education-13274090

2. Personal Definition of De facto Segregation: De facto segregation is a legal term relating

to the separation of individuals or groups, particularly in regards to race, according to the

dictionary. Additionally, the textbook adds that de facto segregation is “unofficial”

segregation, differentiating it from de jure segregation. The textbook continues to

mention that de facto segregation can occur as a result of residential patterns or school

actions. It is apparent that de facto segregation differs from de jure segregation because it

is not “mandated,” per se. De facto segregation seems more subconscious, or occuring
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because of individual opinions. For example, the textbook stated that this type of

segregation can occur in schools, with students of different races being alienated in

groups. In creating a personal definition, it would be important to consider de facto

segregation as a choice, opposed to a government mandate. I would define de facto

segregation as: A choice, one not forced upon an individual by law, to intentionally

separate or alienate individualize on the basis of their race.

Research Source:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/segregation#legalDictionary​ and

https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21796209/w

hats-the-difference-between-de-jure-and-de-facto-standards

3. Personal Definition of De jure Segregation: De jure segregation, similar to de facto

segregation, is segregation intended or mandated by law or otherwise intentionally arising

from state action, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Personally, determining

the actual definition of the term helps me come up with my personal definition, and how

it can be applied to various situations. The textbook defines de jure segregation as:

“segregation by law or by official action.” As a result of the Supreme Court Case ​Plessy

v. Ferguson​, the constitutionality of the phrase “separate but equal” was challenged, but

upheld. Evidently, de jure segregation can be seen, as the textbook states, in dual school

systems in which separation of students occurred on the basis of race. In considering a

definition of de jure segregation, one must note that the segregation may not be mandated

to occur, but the instances of segregation must be allowed by the law (such as the

Supreme Court decision that the state-based segregation law was not a violation of the
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Fourteenth Amendment). If I were to write a definition of de facto segregation, it would

read: the separation of individuals on the basis of race that is mandated or stated by law.

Research Source:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/segregation#legalDictionary​ and

https://www.electronicdesign.com/technologies/embedded-revolution/article/21796209/w

hats-the-difference-between-de-jure-and-de-facto-standards​ and

https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537

4. Personal Definition of Separate but Equal: Separate but equal is the well-known phrase

stemming from the Supreme Court Case, ​Plessy v. Ferguson​. The textbook defines

separate but equal as the doctrine that was developed after the 1896 Supreme Court Case,

Plessy v. Ferguson​, in which “segregation was [a] legally sanctioned part of the

American way of life.” Separate but equal was then used to justify segregated schools,

and other institutions, under the basis that they each had equal rights and equal amenities.

This Supreme Court Case challenged the protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment,

yet in a 7-1 decision, the Court deemed the state law constitutional. This relates to de jure

segregation because it was made legally acceptable to separate people on the basis of

their race. In my definition of separate but equal, I would be sure to note that it stemmed

from ​Plessy v. Ferguson​, and that it is used as a justification for segregation. The

definition would read: Separate but equal, a phrase coined after the 1896 Supreme Court

Case, ​Plessy v. Ferguson,​ is used to justify segregation as constitutional.

Research Source: ​https://www.oyez.org/cases/1850-1900/163us537