Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Black families in several states challenged segregated public schools. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that “separate but equal” is inherently unequal, striking down racial segregation in public education under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

3) Why It Mattered
This case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) in the context of public education and became the foundation of the modern civil rights movement. It signaled that state-enforced segregation was unconstitutional.

4) What It Provided or Took Away

• Provided: A constitutional mandate for racial integration in public schools.
• Took Away: The legitimacy of segregation laws in education.

5) Overreach or Proper Role?
The Court acted within its role, enforcing the Equal Protection Clause against state laws that perpetuated racial inequality. Critics at the time saw it as activism, but history has vindicated it as essential to justice.

6) Plain-English Impact Today
Brown ensures that government-run schools cannot segregate by race. It stands as a milestone for equality and a reminder that the Constitution prohibits laws that treat groups of people as inherently inferior.

• Equal Protection
• Segregation
• Civil Rights
• Education