Which of the following did the most to expand civil rights in the 1950's? a. State legislative decisions desegregating public accommodationsb. State court decisions outlawing poll taxesc. The passage of voting-rights legislation by Congressd. Executive orders mandating affirmative actione. The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional

Correct answer:

e. The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional.

Explanation:

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, decided by the US Supreme Court in 1954, was a landmark case that major impact on the expansion of civil rights for black Americans.

Brown v. Board ruled that all Americans are entitled to the same civil liberties and protections in regard to access to education. Until that decision, it was legal to segregate schools according to race, so that black students could not attend the same schools as white students. An older Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), had said that separate, segregated public facilities were acceptable as long as the facilities offered were equal in quality. In the case of Brown v. Board of Education, that standard was challenged and defeated. Segregation was shown to create inequality, and the Supreme Court unanimously ruled segregation to be unconstitutional.

The ruling was important in advancing civil rights because it affirmed that the 14th Amendment applies to all rights and privileges of citizens, including access to education.