We the People

The 14th Amendment and the History of Reconstruction

Listen Later

Jeffrey Rosen discusses the 14th Amendment with Sherrilyn Ifill, the head of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy at Howard Law School and the former president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Pamela Brandwein, author of Rethinking the Judicial Settlement of Reconstruction, and Ilan Wurman, author of The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment. They discuss the historical events that gave rise to the 14th Amendment and debate its original meaning. This conversation was originally streamed live as part of the NCC’s America’s Town Hall program series on February 10, 2025, in partnership with the Federal Judicial Center. 


Resources
  • Ilan Wurman, The Second Founding: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Amendment (2020) 
  • Pamela Brandwein, Rethinking the Judicial Settlement of Reconstruction (2011) 
  • Sherrilyn Ifill, “Why are U.S. courts afraid of the 14th Amendment? Because it’s radical,” The Washington Post (Nov. 23, 2023) 
  • Sherrilyn Ifill, “Yes, this is America: Why I’m Creating the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy,” Substack (July 7, 2023) 
  • 14th Amendment 
  • Title VI, Civil Rights Act of 1964 
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1866 
  • The Reconstruction Amendments 
  • Brown v. Board of Education 


    Stay Connected and Learn More

    • Questions or comments about the show? Email us at [email protected]
    • Continue the conversation by following us on social media @ConstitutionCtr.
    • Sign up to receive Constitution Weekly, our email roundup of constitutional news and debate.
    • Subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen.
    • Join us for an upcoming live program or watch recordings on YouTube.
    • Support our important work.


      • Donate

      ...more
      View all episodesView all episodes
      Download on the App Store
      We the PeopleBy National Constitution Center
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6
      • 4.6

      4.6

      1,076 ratings

      More shows like We the People

      View all
      The Political Scene | The New Yorker by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

      The Political Scene | The New Yorker

      3,992 Listeners

      Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts by Slate Podcasts

      Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick | Law, justice, and the courts

      3,526 Listeners

      Bloomberg Law by Bloomberg

      Bloomberg Law

      374 Listeners

      U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments by Oyez

      U.S. Supreme Court Oral Arguments

      684 Listeners

      Lectures in History by C-SPAN

      Lectures in History

      748 Listeners

      Live at the National Constitution Center by National Constitution Center

      Live at the National Constitution Center

      144 Listeners

      The Lawfare Podcast by The Lawfare Institute

      The Lawfare Podcast

      6,281 Listeners

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat by New York Times Opinion

      Interesting Times with Ross Douthat

      7,067 Listeners

      Strict Scrutiny by Crooked Media

      Strict Scrutiny

      5,771 Listeners

      Advisory Opinions by The Dispatch

      Advisory Opinions

      3,862 Listeners

      The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

      The Ezra Klein Show

      16,026 Listeners

      Amarica's Constitution by Akhil Reed Amar

      Amarica's Constitution

      382 Listeners

      Divided Argument by Will Baude, Dan Epps

      Divided Argument

      738 Listeners

      For the Ages: A History Podcast by The New York Historical

      For the Ages: A History Podcast

      381 Listeners

      The Opinions by The New York Times Opinion

      The Opinions

      535 Listeners