Brown v. Board of Education decided what?

• A. Segregation in public schools was legal.
• B. Separate public schools by race were unconstitutional.
• C. Separate but equal doctrine was reaffirmed.
• D. The federal government had no role in education.

Answer: (C)

Racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause because separation by race implies inequality. Brown v. Board of Education held that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal, so public schools cannot be segregated by race. This overturned the long-standing Plessy v. Ferguson idea of "separate but equal" in education and set the stage for nationwide desegregation, with further steps needed to implement it. The other statements don’t fit the ruling: segregation in public schools isn’t lawful, the separate-but-equal doctrine isn’t reaffirmed, and the federal government does have a role in protecting constitutional rights and enforcing desegregation.