Texas A&M University (TAMU) HIST106 History of the United States Exam 3 Practice

The Brown v. Board of Education case, decided by the Supreme Court in 1954, established that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. This landmark ruling effectively overturned the previous legal doctrine set by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which upheld the "separate but equal" standard for racial segregation. The Court found that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, and therefore violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

This decision was pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement, as it provided a legal foundation for challenging segregation and discrimination in various aspects of American life. The ruling emphasized that segregation in public education created a sense of inferiority among African American children, which can have detrimental effects on their educational and personal development. As a direct result, the Brown case laid the groundwork for further advancements in civil rights, encouraging activism and leading to subsequent legislation aimed at promoting equality.