Why were Jim Crow laws separate but equal?

Jim Crow laws were designed to enforce racial segregation in the United States, particularly in the South, under the doctrine of "separate but equal." This legal principle, established by the Supreme Court in the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, asserted that racial segregation was constitutional as long as the separate facilities for each race were deemed equal in quality. However, in practice, the facilities and services provided to Black Americans were often inferior, leading to systemic discrimination and inequality. The phrase "separate but equal" ultimately served to justify and maintain racial segregation rather than promote true equality.