placage Definition
a system of racial segregation practiced in Louisiana and other parts of the southern United States, in which a person of European or African descent entered into a long-term relationship with a person of African descent but claimed to be white, thereby passing as white and avoiding the legal and social restrictions associated with being African American.
Using placage: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "placage" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
Placage was a common practice among wealthy white men in Louisiana during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Example
The placage system allowed mixed-race women to gain some measure of financial security and social status, but at the cost of their freedom and dignity.
Example
Placage was a form of institutionalized prostitution that reinforced the racial hierarchy of the antebellum South.
Origins of placage
from French 'placage', meaning 'a veneer or thin layer'
Summary: placage in Brief
The term 'placage' [pluh-kahzh] refers to a system of racial segregation practiced in the southern United States, particularly Louisiana, during the 18th and 19th centuries. It involved a person of European or African descent entering into a long-term relationship with a person of African descent but claiming to be white, thus avoiding the legal and social restrictions associated with being African American. Placage was a form of institutionalized prostitution that reinforced the racial hierarchy of the antebellum South.
