What landmark ruling did the Supreme Court make in Brown vs Board of Education in 1954?

The ruling in Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954 is significant because it marked a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement by stating that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court unanimously reversed the precedent set by Plessy vs. Ferguson, which upheld the doctrine of "separate but equal" in 1896. Brown vs. Board of Education concluded that even if facilities were equal in quality, the very act of segregation itself was inherently unequal, thus violating the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This decision provided a legal foundation for challenging segregation and discrimination across various aspects of American life, leading to the eventual dismantling of segregation laws throughout the country.