Which US Supreme Court case ruled that segregation in public school is unconstitutional?

The US Supreme Court first declared segregation in public education unconstitutional in 1954, in the consolidated cases heard under the caption Brown v. Board of Education, (1954) and its companion case, Bolling v. Sharpe, (1954). These overturned the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, (1896), that allowed "separate but equal" accommodations for African-Americans in most areas of life, including education. In Brown, the Supreme Court determined that "separated but equal" wasn't equal, and unfairly branded African-American students as inferior.

Earlier cases not necessarily specific to public education, but to desegregation in general, laid the foundation for the decision in Brown. For more specific information, see Related Question, below.

Case Citation:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 US 483 (1954)

For more information, see Related Questions, below.