The Supreme Court case Plessy v Ferguson (1896) established the "separate but equal" doctrine, allowing for racial segregation. However, the Supreme Court later overturned this doctrine in Brown v Board of Education (1954), ruling that segregated schools were inherently unequal and violated the 14th Amendment. Brown v Board of Education had a profound impact on US citizens as it paved the way for desegregation and was a landmark victory in the civil rights movement, dismantling legally segregated systems and promoting equal treatment in education.
