What Was the Supreme Court Decision in Brown V Board of Education?

By Staff WriterLast Updated April 14, 2020

In the U.S. Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education, the Court ruled that state laws that created separate public schools for black and white students were a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The case effectively reversed Plessy v. Ferguson, which previously allowed for segregated public schools.

In Brown v. Board of Education, the Court determined that the de jure separation of public school students in and of itself violated the 14th amendment’s equal protection clause. It reasoned that even if facilities, supplies and teachers were considered to be equal, it does not overcome the fact that separating students is inherently unconstitutional.