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	Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Black children were denied admission to white public schools under laws requiring or permitting segregation by race (based on the “separate but equal” doctrine established in Plessy v Ferguson). The plaintiffs in Brown asserted that this system of racial separation perpetuated inferior accommodations, services, and treatment for black Americans.


	Does the segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race deprive the minority children of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment?



		US Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren


		Yes. Despite the equalization of the schools by "objective" factors (such as building facilities, curriculum, etc.), intangible issues foster and maintain inequality. Racial segregation in public education has a detrimental effect on minority children because it is interpreted as a sign of inferiority. The long-held doctrine that separate facilities were permissible provided they were equal was rejected. “Separate but equal” is inherently unequal in the context of public education. The unanimous opinion sounded the death-knell for all forms of state-maintained racial separation.



		The Brown case was a major victory for civil rights advocates. It resulted in desegregation of public schools across the country and helped spark the nascent Civil Rights Movement in the United States. For a full summary of this case, go to: http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1952/1952_1/