How did courts once interpret the equal protection clause to rule in favor of
laws that segregated white Americans and African Americans?
O
A. They argued that equal protection required groups of citizens to
be protected from one another if the groups disagreed.
O
B. They decided that equal protection referred only to laws that
affected citizens' fundamental rights, such as freedom of speech.
O
C. They argued that only the federal government was required to
provide equal protection of the laws.
O
D. They claimed that the laws treated both groups equally because
neither could use the services and facilities designated for the
other group.