One of the aspects of life that Jim Crow laws regulated was the fact that they forbade the "promotion of equality."
In this context, such promotion referred to the printing, publishing, or claiming that social equality was a desirable goal, or that intermarriage should be allowed. This was punished as a misdemeanor and required the payment of a hefty fine.
The difference between plagiarism and collaboration is when you plagiarism you copy or paste (WHICH I DID NOT DO) but when you collaboration it is taking your own idea with someone's else and collaborate with it.
