Question

What basic American principles are reflected in the majority opinion in Brown v. Board of Education? How did this ruling help lead to the expansion of civil rights and liberties in the United States?

Answer 1

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:

• All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.