Which landmark case ruled that racially segregated public schools are unconstitutional?

• A. Marbury v. Madison.
• B. Plessy v. Ferguson.
• C. Brown v. Board of Education.
• D. Roe v. Wade.

Answer: (C)

Racial segregation in public schools violates equal protection because separating students by race creates inequality in educational opportunities. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools are unconstitutional, stating that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal and therefore violate the Fourteenth Amendment. This decision overturned the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson standard of "separate but equal," showing that even if facilities were made to look equal, the act of separating students by race itself produces inequality. The ruling helped drive desegregation across the country and became a major turning point in the civil rights movement. For contrast, Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, and Roe v. Wade concerns abortion rights, not school segregation.