The event seen as the beginning of the post-war civil rights movement is the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954. This landmark ruling declared that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, overturning the earlier precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896, which had allowed "separate but equal" facilities. The Court's decision galvanized activists and provided a legal foundation for challenging segregation and discrimination across various aspects of American life. It inspired a new generation of leaders and movements that aimed to achieve equality and civil rights for African Americans, setting the stage for significant legislative changes in the following decade.