Short Answer 
The landmark case Brown v. Board of Education addressed the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools, ultimately ruling it unconstitutional due to violations of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court’s decision was pivotal in challenging state laws that enforced educational inequality and set a legal precedent for future civil rights movements.
Identify the Issue
In the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court addressed a critical legal matter concerning racial segregation in public schools. This case combined several individual lawsuits sharing a common legal issue, namely the constitutionality of laws that enforced the separation of black and white students. The primary focus was on how these laws violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Understand the Cases Involved
The Supreme Court’s review stemmed from five significant cases:
- Briggs v. Elliott (South Carolina)
- Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County (Virginia)
- Gebhart v. Belton (Delaware)
- Bolling v. Sharpe (Washington, D.C.)
Each case represented the struggles against state laws that mandated separate educational facilities, highlighting widespread inequality across different regions.
Supreme Court’s Decision
Ultimately, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice of segregating students based on race was unconstitutional. This decision underscored the belief that racial segregation created an inherent inequality in public education. The ruling was instrumental in setting a legal precedent and catalyzing future civil rights movements in the United States.