To separate [african american children] from others . . solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority . . that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone. . the impact is greater when it has the [approval] of the law, for the policy of separating the races is usually interpreted as denoting the inferiority of [african americans]. a sense of inferiority affects the motivation of a child to learn. what is the purpose of this passage? to provide legal support for segregation to note that segregation calls for the separation of races to defend the motives of those who favor segregation to assert that legal segregation is harmful to children.