Civic Literacy Practice Test

The most relevant case related to the equal protection clause is Brown v. Board of Education. This landmark decision specifically addressed the issue of racial segregation in public schools. The Supreme Court held that the separate educational facilities for racial minorities and whites were inherently unequal, which violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The significance of this ruling lies in how it fundamentally challenged and overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson, which established the "separate but equal" doctrine. While Plessy dealt with segregation in public transportation and upheld the legality of racial segregation, it set a context that Brown would later dismantle with a clearer interpretation of equality under the law. In contrast, the other cases mentioned do not primarily focus on the equal protection clause in the same way. Gideon v. Wainwright deals with the right to counsel, and West Virginia v. Barnette addresses free speech and expression rights in education. Each case contributes to civil rights but within different constitutional frameworks. Thus, Brown v. Board of Education stands out as the pivotal case regarding the equal protection clause, making it the most relevant choice.