The Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education decided in 1954, was a landmark ruling that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

The Court unanimously concluded that "separate but equal" educational facilities were inherently unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision effectively overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson and served as a catalyst for the civil rights movement. It initiated the desegregation of public schools across the United States and laid the groundwork for further challenges against racial discrimination in various aspects of society.