The case of Brown v. Board of Education addressed what controversial issue?

The case of Brown v. Board of Education is pivotal in American history as it directly challenged the constitutionality of racial segregation in public schools. Decided by the Supreme Court in 1954, this landmark case concluded that racial segregation in public schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court ruled that "separate but equal" educational facilities for racial minorities and whites were inherently unequal, thus overturning the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896.

This decision was significant not only because it marked a crucial step towards desegregation in schools but also because it laid the groundwork for the broader civil rights movement. The ruling helped to dismantle institutionalized racism in various sectors of society and urged states and communities to pursue equality more vigorously.

The other choices revolve around different social issues - women’s voting rights pertains to suffrage, free speech in school newspapers relates to First Amendment rights, and gun control laws discuss the regulation of firearms - none of which are the central concern of Brown v. Board of Education.