Which doctrine did Brown v. Board reject?

• A. Separate but equal doctrine
• B. Due process concept
• C. Equal protection is not applicable to education
• D. Majority rule

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that racial segregation in public schools violates equal protection under the law. Brown v. Board of Education held that the doctrine of separate but equal, which claimed that segregated facilities could be truly equal if they were separate, is unconstitutional in the context of public education. The Court reasoned that separating students by race inherently suggests inequality and deprives minority students of equal educational opportunities, making separate facilities inherently unequal.

This ruling built on the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson, which had allowed segregation as long as facilities were purportedly equal. It’s not about due process, which deals with fair procedures and certain fundamental rights; Brown rests on equal protection and the harms of segregation in education. The notion that equal protection doesn’t apply to education is incorrect, since Brown explicitly says it does apply. And majority rule isn’t the issue here, as the case deals with constitutional guarantees, not electoral governance.