Brown v Board of Education (1954) declared that "separate but equal" public schools are unconstitutional. The Court found that segregated schools violate the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause and harm Black children's educational opportunities.
This case began the modern civil rights movement and established that segregation violates constitutional equality. It overturned Plessy v Ferguson's "separate but equal" doctrine.
Brown didn't immediately integrate schools—it required follow-up cases and federal enforcement to overcome massive resistance across the South.
This case began the modern civil rights movement and established that segregation violates constitutional equality. It overturned Plessy v Ferguson's "separate but equal" doctrine.
Brown didn't immediately integrate schools—it required follow-up cases and federal enforcement to overcome massive resistance across the South.