U.S. Supreme Court's ruling on civil rights

BROWN vs. BOARD OF EDUCATION

Date Decided: May 17, 1954
Chief Justice Presiding: Earl Warren
Vote Split: 9-0

On this landmark case in the United States, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on May 17, 1954 that it state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white children are unconstitutional. The Court ordered the removal of race-based segregation in public schools mainly because it has a permanent detrimental impact on minority children. This controversial decision, though not welcomed by many politicians and school administrators, set the stage for Civil Rights Movement and paved the way for integration.

The court's ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education essentially reversed an earlier, but equally controversial, decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson. In 1896, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was constitutional. More specifically, the Court said that the 14th Amendment on equal protection clause guaranteed legal, but not social, equality. Therefore, states can legally offer separate facilities to whites and blacks, provided that said facilities were identical, embodying the concept of "separate but equal".