What was the legal precedent behind Plessy v. Ferguson and how did Brown v. Board of Education lead to the crisis at Central High School in 1957? Objective Examine the 14th Amendment and cases related to segregation to understand the legal process behind the collective Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954 and its impact on Central High School in 1957. Background “ Brown was the beginning...” in understanding the nature and expectations of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution. -- Alexander M. Bickel In 1954, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision that declared “ Duration: 90 Minutes.