Question

The long-term significance of Brown v. Board of Education is that it.

A. decided that each state could determine whether segregation was legal

B. supported the case of Plessy v. Ferguson by saying segregation was illegal

C. found segregated schools to be constitutional if they were equal in quality

D. overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling accepting segregated facilities

Answer 1

The correct answer is:

D. overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling accepting segregated facilities.

Step-by-step explanation:

What is the Brown v. Board of Education case about (1954)?

The US Supreme Court decided that racial segregation in schools was unconstitutional (forbidden by the law), because it violated the 14th Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause it contains. Until then, children from racial minorities had to go to schools that were separate from the schools where white children went.

In this context, 13 parents from Topeka, Kansas, sued the Topeka Board of Education for their 20 children who were segregated in schools on racial grounds. The case went up to the Supreme Court and they won.

What is the Plessy v. Ferguson case about (1896)?

In this case with similar facts, the US Supreme Court had ruled that racial segregation in schools that had equal facilities, accommodations and services was legal ("separate but equal"), a decision which supported racist views and a defeat for the the Civil Rights Movement.

However, Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling and it paved the way for ending racial segregation and justice for the racial minorities, especially in school.