Final answer:
Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth Clark's research on doll preferences among African American children revealed the psychological harm of segregation and influenced the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case that ended school segregation in the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The history of race relations in the United States deeply influenced the research of African American psychologists Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth Clark. Their landmark doll study in 1947, which demonstrated that segregation had a damaging effect on African American children's self-perception, was used as pivotal evidence in the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case that ended legal segregation in public schools. The context of Jim Crow laws and the overall push for civil rights by the African American community during this period provided the backdrop for the Clarks' research, showcasing the harmful psychological effects of systemic racism and helping to pivot the nation toward desegregation.
In the 'doll test', Black children overwhelmingly preferred white dolls and attributed positive characteristics to them, revealing internalized racism and a devaluation of their own racial identity. This behavior reflected the impact of racist attitudes prevalent in society and the segregationist policies that relegated Black Americans to a status of inferiority. The Supreme Court cited this research, illustrating that "separate but equal" was inherently unequal due to the psychological damage it inflicted on minority students.