What was the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education?

The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education was significant because it declared that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court found that racial segregation violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This landmark decision asserted that "separate but equal" educational facilities were inherently unequal, thus eroding the legal basis for segregation and striking a pivotal blow against institutionalized racism in the United States. The case played a key role in the civil rights movement, as it underscored the importance of equality in education and set a precedent for future legal challenges against segregation and discrimination.