Separate But Equal

Via: fadedandblurred

Photographer Elliott Erwitt captured this image of segregated water fountains in North Carolina, 1950.
The constitutional doctrine "Separate but Equal" seems ironic here, considering the base of the White fountain contains a refrigerating unit to provide cold water.

The good news?  "Separate But Equal" was overturned in 1954 with regard to education. 
The bad news?  It would take another 10 years for the Civil Rights Act to put an end to segregation in public areas.

The photo serves as a powerful reminder that we lived in an embarrassingly backward society not too long ago, and though racial equality is far from perfect today, the photo is also a testament to how far we've come.