How did the Supreme Court's ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 impact the United States?

In Plessy v Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court upheld the legality of segregated public facilities based upon race.

This led to the policy of "separate but equal" which meant that throughout the United States, public and private organizations were able disallow people of color from schools and bathrooms as long as they had separate facilities for people of color.