On this day (July 9) in 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. The landmark addition provides for “equal protection of the laws,” particularly for Black Americans. As President Donald Trump prepares to announce his nominee to the Supreme Court—who will be charged with interpreting and upholding the Constitution—this evening at 9:00 p.m. EDT, these tweets provide a look at why the amendment matters.
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Today, we celebrate 150 years of the #14thAmendment, which transformed our democracy by guaranteeing equal protection for all. The work of fulfilling and preserving its promise of equality continues?? https://t.co/9tfMWqgEJT | #SaveSCOTUS #SCOTUSpick
rnt— NAACP (@NAACP) July 9, 2018
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#OTD 1868 the #14thAmendment to the US Constitution was adopted, granting citizenship to all persons born in the US regardless of race, & guaranteeing equal protection under the law. Known as one of the "Reconstruction Amendments" it helped ensure rights for former slaves.
rnt— Smithsonian Transcription Center (@TranscribeSI) July 9, 2018
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The critical opening lines of the second sentence “No state shall…” along w/Section 5 of the Amend represents a fundamental re-ordering of the relationship betw the fed govt & the states. The fed govt is empowered to protect citizens vs the discriminatory acts of the states. pic.twitter.com/x9QJKLjEW9
rnt— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 9, 2018
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Critical as well is the language extending equal protection and due process rights to “any person” – Not just to citizens. All persons in our country are guaranteed equal protection of the laws and the right to due process before being deprived of life, liberty or property.
rnt— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 9, 2018
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But the provision – designed first & foremost to ensure citizenship for Blacks – guarantees citizenship for anyone born on our soil – a democratic innovation that set the U.S. apart from much of Europe. The brilliant scholar @marthasjones_ has a new book out that is a MUST READ. pic.twitter.com/nbxR1ugj7Z
rnt— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 9, 2018
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In the Standing Bear vs. Crook: Argument of G.M. Lambertson, 1879, the #14thAmendment was used to argue that Native Americans were citizens & persons under the law; setting Standing Bear & 30 Ponca Indians free who were forcibly removed & detained by the Sec. of the Interior
rnt— Smithsonian Transcription Center (@TranscribeSI) July 9, 2018
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It was illegal for my great-grandfather to become a citizen due to his race. Other Chinese couldn’t be naturalized until after the Chinese Exclusion Act ended in 1943. Fortunately my Chinese grandfather was born here. Thank you, 14th Amendment.
rnt— Jamie Ford (@JamieFord) June 21, 2018
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In recent years, the 14th Amendment has also been cited in decisions that desegregated public schools, legalized interracial marriage, protected pregnant women from discriminatory policies and struck down the ban on gay marriage. #14thAmendment
rnt— Rep. Donald McEachin (@RepMcEachin) July 9, 2018
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"we have not the luxury, however, of looking back to 1868 with collective nostalgia…Today the #14thAmendment is under attack by those who see in its terms unwelcome or overtrod paths to belonging, equality, and the dignity’– @marthasjones_ https://t.co/I1UHXqwsmR
rnt— BlackStudies at Duke (@DukeAAAS) July 9, 2018
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“At this point in our constitutional history, to challenge this settled understanding of 14th Amendment ‘liberty’…is the functional equivalent of challenging the validity of the #14thAmendment itself” Thx @Sifill_LDF https://t.co/26rpehQgFp
rnt— Mary Frances Berry (@DrMFBerry) July 9, 2018
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For a deeper dive into the history of the 14th Amendment, read this Time article from Martha S. Jones, which begins, “When the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on July 9, 1868—150 years ago this Monday—it closed the door on schemes that aimed to make the U.S. a White man’s country.”