Final answer:
The Brown v. Board of Education case revolved around the issue of separate facilities versus equal facilities, challenging the 'separate but equal' doctrine set by Plessy v. Ferguson. It held that state laws for segregated schools were unequal and unconstitutional, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Core Issue of Brown v. Board of Education
At the core of the Brown v. Board of Education case was the issue of separate facilities versus equal facilities. This landmark Supreme Court decision in 1954 addressed the legality and constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. Until that point, schools operated under the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which introduced the concept of "separate but equal" and allowed racial segregation in schools and other public facilities. The Brown v. Board of Education ruling overturned this precedent, declaring that state laws establishing separate schools for black and white students were inherently unequal and unconstitutional, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The unanimous decision acknowledged the psychological impact of segregation on African American children and established that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, setting the stage for desegregation and advances in civil rights.