(1954) U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court ruled unanimously that
The amendment says that no state may deny equal protection of the laws to any person within its jurisdiction. The court declared separate educational facilities to be inherently unequal, thus reversing its 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson . The Brown ruling was limited to public schools, but it was believed to imply that segregation is not permissible in other public facilities. Guidelines for ending segregation were presented and school boards were advised to proceed "with all deliberate speed." See also {{link=Marshall, Thurgood">Thurgood Marshall .