Brown v. Board of Education (context)

Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark 1954 Supreme Court case that challenged the legal basis of racial segregation in public schools. At the time, many schools were segregated by race, often under the "separate but equal" principle established by Plessy v. Ferguson. The case involved African American children who argued that segregated schools were inherently unequal, damaging their education and development. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed, ruling that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This decision was a major step toward ending racial segregation and promoting civil rights in the United States.