Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case in 1954 that ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional. The case was brought by the parents of Linda Brown, an African American student who was denied admission to a white school in Topeka, Kansas. The Supreme Court's unanimous decision overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which had allowed for racial segregation in public facilities as long as they were deemed equal.

The Brown v. Board of Education decision was a major victory for the civil rights movement and set the stage for future legal challenges to segregation and discrimination. It marked a turning point in the struggle for racial equality in the United States and laid the groundwork for desegregation efforts in schools and other public institutions. The case was a critical step towards dismantling institutionalized racism and promoting equal rights for all Americans.