The landmark decision in 1954 that determined racial segregation in public schools was "Brown v. Board of Education." The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state-sponsored segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This landmark ruling declared that "separate but equal" educational facilities were inherently unequal and thus unconstitutional. The decision was pivotal in advancing the civil rights movement, as it provided a legal basis for challenging segregation and discrimination, ultimately leading to greater integration in schools and society.