What landmark case ruled that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional?

• A. Plessy v. Ferguson
• B. Brown v. Board of Education
• C. Miranda v. Arizona
• D. Roe v. Wade

Answer: (B)

The landmark case that ruled segregation in public schools was unconstitutional is Brown v. Board of Education. Decided in 1954, this case fundamentally challenged the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. The Supreme Court unanimously found that racial segregation in public education created a sense of inferiority that was detrimental to African American children and therefore violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling was pivotal in the Civil Rights Movement, as it not only led to the desegregation of schools across the United States but also set a legal precedent that helped dismantle other forms of institutionalized segregation and discrimination.

The other cases mentioned do not pertain to public school segregation. Plessy v. Ferguson upheld the legality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine, while Miranda v. Arizona focused on the rights of individuals in police custody. Roe v. Wade dealt with women's reproductive rights and did not involve issues of racial segregation in education.