[dropcap]On[/dropcap] 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. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″]
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
— NAACP (@NAACP) July 9, 2018
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
— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) July 9, 2018