What phrase describes the treatment blacks received in the years before world war ii?

Black Americans were not treated well in American society prior to World War II. This is in large part due to laws and court cases that shaped American society. A perfect example of this is the Supreme Court case Plessy vs. Ferguson. In this case, decided in 1896, it was decided that there could be "separate but equal" facilities for blacks and whites in American society. Even though it was supposed to be "separate but equal" this was not the case. Blacks often went to schools with less resources and inferior buildings than white students.

Along with this, there were laws in the Southern states that limited the rights of blacks. A perfect example of this would be a poll tax. This tax was necessary in order to vote. Thousands of black citizens could not afford this tax, leaving them powerless.