The basic principles of equal rights and due process are reflected in Brown v. Board of Education. The ruling established a foundation for the civil rights movement by affirming that the 14th Amendment applies to all rights and privileges of citizens, including access to education. Rights were being violated by states whose laws supported the segregation of schools. In the years that followed, the civil rights movement would press for further assurances and protections that all citizens' rights and privileges are respected in all areas of civic life.
Section 1 of the 14th Amendment, which provides a basis for the decision in Brown v. Board of Education, reads as follows:
