Which case declared school segregation unconstitutional and overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

Which case declared school segregation unconstitutional and overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine?

• A. Brown v. Board of Education
• B. Plessy v Ferguson
• C. Dred Scott v Sandford
• D. Regents of University of California v Bakke

Answer: (A)

This question tests how the Supreme Court changed constitutional standards for racial segregation in schools. Brown v. Board of Education held that state laws requiring separate public schools for Black and White students violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment because separation itself carries a message of inequality. In other words, even if facilities were supposedly equal, separating students by race stigmatizes and disadvantages Black students, hailing true equality in education. This decision explicitly overturned the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that allowed “separate but equal” facilities to stand as long as they were equal in appearance, at least in the realm of public schooling. The Court also laid groundwork for desegregation, though implementation proceeded with delays and further rulings like Brown II, which urged desegregation with “all deliberate speed.” The other options don’t fit: Plessy v. Ferguson upheld separate but equal and did not strike it down; Dred Scott v. Sandford dealt with citizenship and slavery in a pre-C Civil War context and is not about school segregation; Regents of the University of California v. Bakke addressed affirmative action in college admissions, not constitutional rules about public school segregation.

This question tests how the Supreme Court changed constitutional standards for racial segregation in schools. Brown v. Board of Education held that state laws requiring separate public schools for Black and White students violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment because separation itself carries a message of inequality. In other words, even if facilities were supposedly equal, separating students by race stigmatizes and disadvantages Black students, hailing true equality in education. This decision explicitly overturned the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that allowed “separate but equal” facilities to stand as long as they were equal in appearance, at least in the realm of public schooling. The Court also laid groundwork for desegregation, though implementation proceeded with delays and further rulings like Brown II, which urged desegregation with “all deliberate speed.” The other options don’t fit: Plessy v. Ferguson upheld separate but equal and did not strike it down; Dred Scott v. Sandford dealt with citizenship and slavery in a pre-C Civil War context and is not about school segregation; Regents of the University of California v. Bakke addressed affirmative action in college admissions, not constitutional rules about public school segregation.