We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of
children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even
though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors may
be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal
educational opportunities? We believe that it does. We conclude
that in the field of public education the doctrine of "separate
but equal" has no place. Separate educational facilities are
inherently unequal. Therefore, we hold that the plaintiffs and
others similarly situated for whom the actions have been brought
are, by reason of the segregation complained of, deprived of the
equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth
Amendment. With these words, the United States Supreme Court, in
a unanimous decision on May 17, 1954, ruled that de jure school
segregation was unconstitutional and paved the way for
desegregation of educational institutions. The story of the
Court's ruling and its aftermath is one of slow and steady
chipping away at old laws and cust