Final answer:
Despite the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education ruling segregation illegal, facilities remained segregated due to institutionalized racism. This reflected the deep societal entrenchment of segregationist practices, which legally mandated desegregation could not immediately overcome.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Brown v. Board of Education and its Aftermath
The Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of 1954 is a landmark case that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional, reversing the Plessy v. Ferguson doctrine of 'separate but equal.' Despite this decision, public facilities, including restaurants and department stores as well as neighborhoods, remained segregated, which was an example of institutionalized racism. This is because the practice of segregation was deeply ingrained in the societal structures, and mere legal declarations could not immediately dismantle the existing systems and attitudes that perpetuated racial separation.
After the Brown decision, there were considerable resistance and reluctance in many states to enforce integration, leading to a slow and complex process of desegregation. This highlighted the difference between laws on the books and their implementation in society. It was not a failure of the Civil Rights Movement, but rather a clear illustration of the challenges inherent in changing a society's attitudes and practices, especially when those have been legally and socially enshrined for decades.