The significance of the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954) was that the Supreme Court ruled that the concept of "separate but equal" in public education was unconstitutional. This ruling had a profound impact on civil rights in the United States.
The correct answer to the question is:
- The Supreme Court signified that 'Separate by Equal' did violate the 14th Amendment, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).
This ruling marked a critical moment in the civil rights movement as it declared that segregated educational facilities were inherently unequal and therefore a violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The decision overturned the precedent set by the Plessy v. Ferguson case of 1896, which had established the "separate but equal" doctrine.
By declaring segregation in schools unconstitutional, the Brown v. Board of Education case paved the way for the desegregation of public schools in the United States and set a legal precedent for challenging segregation in other areas of society.