Final answer:
The court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson had a negative effect on educational opportunities for non-white students. However, the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 overturned the Plessy decision and led to the desegregation of schools and improved educational opportunities for non-white students.
Step-by-step explanation:
The court ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson had a negative effect on educational opportunities for non-white students. According to Chief Justice Earl Warren, a court ruling like Plessy v. Ferguson allowed for the continuation of segregated schools that provided unequal educational facilities and resources for non-white students. However, in the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the Plessy decision and declared that racial segregation in public education was unconstitutional. This ruling paved the way for the desegregation of schools and the improvement of educational opportunities for non-white students.