Slate News Amicus | One Amendment Explains It All
8 snips
Dec 13, 2025 
Sherrilyn Ifill, a leading civil rights lawyer and scholar, joins to illuminate the critical role of the 14th Amendment in shaping democracy. She discusses the persistent threats posed by anti-democracy movements and the importance of protecting citizenship rights against racist rhetoric. Ifill bridges historical and modern struggles, stressing the need for public engagement and accountability. Her insights on leveraging district courts and grassroots activism provide a roadmap for reclaiming equal justice under the law.
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14th Amendment As The Second Founding
- The 14th Amendment is the Civil War-era refounding of the United States that enshrined equality and birthright citizenship.
- Sherrilyn Ifill argues it created the foundation for multiracial democracy and is central to current attacks on American democracy.
Resistance Was An Anti‑Democracy Movement
- The civil rights movement revived the 14th Amendment and translated constitutional text into real democracy through litigation like Brown v. Board.
- Resistance to that project has long been anti-democratic and informs today's rollback efforts.
First Amendment Talk Masks 14th Amendment Erosion
- First Amendment absolutism has been weaponized to excuse platform profiteering and silence accountability for hate and disinformation.
- Meanwhile attacks on the 14th Amendment—like birthright citizenship challenges—are treated as ordinary politics instead of constitutional assaults.
