Brown vs Board of Education 1954

Brown Vs Board of Education (1954) is extremely important to the Civil Rights Movement. Essentially, Brown vs. Board of Education made it possible for Black and White students to go to school together. It made segregation illegal in public schools. It overturned the previous ruling of Plessey vs. Ferguson, which deemed segregation in schools constitutional and they would be "separate but equal" The reality was that the schools were separate, but NOT equal. African American students went to school miles away from their homes and the schools were dirty, unsanitary, and dangerous and did not promote a healthy learning environment. Brown VS BOE took place in Topeka, Kansas and eventually made it to the Supreme Court. The unanimous decision verified that the segregation of public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. This ensured equal schooling opportunity for blacks and whites. Unfortunately, this was not an over night change and students were still segregated based on "custom" rather than law, but nonetheless this put the country and constitution on a federal level in support of African Americans gaining Civil Rights. 

Source: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html