Final answer:
The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case in 1954 declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the Plessy v. Ferguson 'separate but equal' doctrine and galvanizing the civil rights movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Landmark Decision in Brown v. Board of Education
The court case that made legal segregation unconstitutional and jump-started the civil rights movement was Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. This historic decision by the U.S. Supreme Court declared that segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law. The unanimous ruling effectively overruled the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which had allowed state-sponsored segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
Through the Brown v. Board of Education case, the Supreme Court recognized that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal" and thus, could not fulfill the constitutional requirement of equality. This pivotal moment paved the way for subsequent actions and legislation aimed at ending segregation and discrimination, playing a crucial role in the advancement of civil rights in the United States.
The struggle to implement the decision led to various confrontations and further efforts by civil rights advocates, but the door had been opened for challenging unconstitutional practices and striving towards a more inclusive society.