Brown v. Board of Education

Definition

A landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional, effectively ending racial segregation in public schools.

Related terms

Segregation: The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment.

Plessy v. Ferguson: An 1896 U.S Supreme Court decision that upheld racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

14th Amendment: An amendment to the U.S Constitution adopted in 1868 that guarantees equal protection under the law.