What is the significance of Brown v. Board of Education and which doctrine did it overturn?

• A. It declared segregation unconstitutional in public schools and overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine from Plessy v. Ferguson.
• B. It upheld segregation as constitutional.
• C. It established the principle of judicial review.
• D. It created the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Answer: (A)

Brown v. Board of Education holds that racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause because separating students by race is inherently unequal. The Court reasoned that there is a stigma attached to segregation and that even if facilities were “equal,” separation itself denies equal educational opportunity and undermines the principle of equal protection.

This decision overturned the long-standing rule from Plessy v. Ferguson, which had endorsed the “separate but equal” doctrine. By striking that doctrine down in the education context, Brown opened the path for desegregation and became a catalyst for the broader Civil Rights Movement. The other statements would misstate the outcome or the legal framework involved: Brown did not uphold segregation, nor did it introduce judicial review, nor did it create the “separate but equal” doctrine—those last two belong to earlier or different contexts.