Which landmark Supreme Court case led to the desegregation of public schools?

• A. Plessy v. Ferguson
• B. Dred Scott v. Sandford
• C. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
• D. Roe v. Wade

Answer: (C)

Desegregation of public schools hinges on the idea that separating students by race undermines equal protection under the law. The landmark ruling that directly addressed this is Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which held that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This decision overturned the earlier doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson, which allowed segregation as long as facilities were “equal.” Brown did more than condemn segregation in theory; it provided the legal foundation and moral authority to challenge and dismantle segregation in schools, setting a national standard that prompted further actions to integrate schools across the United States. The other cases address different issues: Plessy v. Ferguson sanctioned segregation under a separate-but-equal rationale; Dred Scott v. Sandford concerned slavery and citizenship; Roe v. Wade deals with abortion rights.