The outcome of the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 was a landmark ruling that declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional. This pivotal case effectively overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896. The Court's unanimous decision, authored by Chief Justice Earl Warren, stated that segregated educational facilities were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling served as a significant catalyst for the civil rights movement, inspiring activists and leading to increased efforts toward desegregation in various aspects of American life, beyond education.