The 14th Amendment’s Promise of Belonging Is One We Must Continue to Fight For
July 9, 2026
Washington, DC — Today marks 158 years since the 14th Amendment was ratified on July 9th, 1868 and ensured citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the U.S,, and guaranteed equal protection and due process under the law. Carmen Daugherty, interim executive director at Advancement Project, issued the following statement:
“The 14th Amendment is the foundation of an America ‘indivisible with liberty and justice for all.’ Born out of the fight for Black freedom, it overturned Dred Scott’s denial of Black citizenship and made a new promise: that freedom and opportunity belonged to all.
For the past 158 years, the 14th Amendment has been a living reminder of the democracy Black Americans and our allies have always believed in and demanded. It has endured countless attacks–from Jim Crow laws and segregation to modern efforts to narrow who belongs in this country and who is entitled to its protections. Most recently, we have witnessed renewed efforts to undermine birthright citizenship and weaken the Amendment’s guarantees through challenges that have reached the highest court in the land.
Yet the 14th Amendment has endured.
Far from becoming a relic of history, it remains one of the most powerful and frequently invoked protections in our constitutional system. The 14th Amendment reminds us that our citizenship has never been something granted freely or easily; these rights were won through struggle, sacrifice, and collective action. It was built to outlast the politics of any one administration and to honor the blood and tears spilled to secure freedom and equality under the law.
On this anniversary, we celebrate not only its history but its continued power and recommit ourselves to protecting the multiracial democracy that stands upon it.”
###
Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.
