What was the main outcome of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954?

The key outcome of the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 was the declaration that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. This landmark Supreme Court ruling fundamentally challenged the status quo of segregated education that had been established by the earlier Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896, which upheld the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Brown v. Board of Education determined that segregated schools were inherently unequal and violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This ruling was a critical moment in the Civil Rights Movement, as it provided a legal foundation for further efforts to dismantle segregation and promote racial equality in various facets of American society. It signaled a shift in judicial attitudes towards civil rights and paved the way for future legislation aimed at ending discrimination.

The ruling did not nationalize public schools or focus on affirmative action policies; rather, it specifically addressed the legality of segregation within the education system.