Equal Protection for All: The 14th Amendment at 150

Commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the 14th Amendment’s ratification with three daytime panels featuring noted scholars.

This event is presented in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall Institute at the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

1:00–2:00 p.m.: The Story of the 14th Amendment and America’s Second Founding

Leading legal scholars and historians, including  Allen Guelzo, Martha Jones, and Kurt Lash, discuss the story of Reconstruction, with a particular focus on the intellectual origins, drafting, ratification, and original understanding of the 14th Amendment; the “forgotten Founders” who fought for its ratification and sought to make its promise a reality; and why this key period can be thought of as America’s “Second Founding.” Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., moderates.

2:00 –2:05 p.m.: Brief Break

2:05–3:05 p.m.: Reconstruction, America’s Second Founding, and Public Memory

Eric Foner, Kate Masur, and Thavolia Glymph discuss the struggle over Reconstruction in American public memory, including the battle over how best to memorialize our nation’s past through landmarks, monuments, and historic sites. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

3:05–3:15 p.m.: Break
   
3:15–4:15 p.m.: 150 and Beyond: Debating the 14th Amendment

Leading scholars, including  Randy Barnett, Steve Calabresi, and Kimberly West-Faulcon debate what the 14th Amendment means today (and may mean tomorrow), covering some of the most important topics in constitutional law today.