On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, stating that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. The decision overturned the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson “separate but equal” doctrine, at least in the context of education. Brown became a cornerstone of the modern civil-rights movement. Implementing the ruling proved difficult, as many school districts in the South resisted desegregation. Still, the decision provided powerful legal and moral support for efforts to end segregation across American society.
