Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Race-based school segregation violates the equal protection clause
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The case was filed by thirteen African-American parents who objected to the segregation of their children into separate schools based on race. The plaintiffs argued that this segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The Supreme Court decided in a unanimous decision that segregation in public schools was inherently unequal, and therefore violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court also held that segregation had a detrimental effect on African-American children. The Court’s decision reversed the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision, which had upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine that allowed racial segregation.
The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a turning point in the Civil Rights movement and had a significant impact on the desegregation of public schools in the United States. It paved the way for future court decisions that ended segregation in other areas, such as housing, transportation, and public accommodations.
Overall, Brown v. Board of Education was a crucial moment in American history that advanced the fight for civil rights and equality for all Americans.
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