Which case declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

Which case declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

• A. Plessy v. Ferguson
• B. Roe v. Wade
• C. Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
• D. United States v. Virginia

Answer: (C)

Segregation in public schools was found unconstitutional because the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment requires that states treat people equally, and separate facilities are inherently unequal in the educational context. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) held that racial segregation in public schools violated this constitutional guarantee, striking down the long-standing doctrine of "separate but equal" that had been established by Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision marked a turning point in the civil rights movement, signaling that state-sponsored segregation could not stand in education and setting the stage for desegregation, albeit with a slow path forward as courts and communities worked to implement it. Roe v. Wade and United States v. Virginia address different issues (reproductive rights and gender-based admissions, respectively), while Plessy v. Ferguson itself was the case Brown overturned.

Segregation in public schools was found unconstitutional because the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment requires that states treat people equally, and separate facilities are inherently unequal in the educational context. Brown v. Board of Education (1954) held that racial segregation in public schools violated this constitutional guarantee, striking down the long-standing doctrine of "separate but equal" that had been established by Plessy v. Ferguson. The decision marked a turning point in the civil rights movement, signaling that state-sponsored segregation could not stand in education and setting the stage for desegregation, albeit with a slow path forward as courts and communities worked to implement it. Roe v. Wade and United States v. Virginia address different issues (reproductive rights and gender-based admissions, respectively), while Plessy v. Ferguson itself was the case Brown overturned.