Segregated education in the United States refers to the practice of separating Black and White students into different schools based on their race. This practice was legal in many parts of the country under the "separate but equal" doctrine established by the Supreme Court in the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision. However, the reality was that these systems were far from equal, with Black schools often receiving fewer resources and inferior facilities compared to their White counterparts.

One of the most well-known cases of segregated education was the landmark 1954 Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional. This decision marked a significant turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and paved the way for the desegregation of schools across the country.

Despite the Brown v. Board of Education decision, desegregation efforts faced significant resistance, particularly in the southern states. It took many years of legal battles, protests, and activism before meaningful desegregation was achieved in schools nationwide.

Today, while legal segregation in education is no longer allowed, de facto segregation still exists in many school districts due to factors such as housing patterns, economic disparities, and discriminatory practices. Efforts to address these issues and ensure equal educational opportunities for all students continue to be ongoing challenges in the fight for racial equity.