News & Analysis
Essays, analysis, and news about the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution — plus updates from the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy.
Here you’ll find everything from quick takes to deeper dives to Center news and events — with a special emphasis on the people who have made or are making the promise of the 14th Amendment real today.
Under assault from all sides, the 14th Amendment holds the key to keeping us and the U.S. together, that we may see the dawn of this country’s Third Founding.
Her powerful concurrence in Trump v. Barbara is a model for how we should think, write, and talk about the centerpiece of the post-Civil War amendments.
Founder Sherrilyn Ifill welcomes the reaffirmation of birthright citizenship, which has been our foundational law since 1868.
Breaking new ground, the Supreme Court of the United States exults a founding document that doesn’t exist.
"The lost cause." Currier & Ives. 1872. Library of Congress.
Resource
Birthright Citizenship, In Context
A collection of articles, scholarship, webinars, and other materials about the Citizenship Clause of the 14th Amendment.
Section 4 of the amendment bars the government from paying any debts “incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States.”
During a visit to Capitol Hill, students in Prof. Sherrilyn Ifill’s 14th Amendment seminar presented research on remedial measures Congress could take in documented cases of voter disenfranchisement.
“That the Work This Time Shall Finally Be Done” Explored 14th Amendment’s Role in Next Refounding
The second annual symposium of the 14th Amendment Center for Law and Democracy brought together students, activists, artists, and scholars for a day of dialogue and calls to action.
The decision is a culmination of the justices’ project, many years in the making, of undermining the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — and with it our multiracial democracy.
More from the 14th Amendment Center
Amicus Brief
Our Supreme Court Brief in Support of Birthright Citizenship
Cristian Farias Mar 1, 2026
In Images
Frederick Douglass on Citizenship
Cristian Farias Feb 14, 2026
Reflection
The Year in Review, and the Year Ahead
Sherrilyn Ifill Jan 1, 2026
Commentary
The Other Constitutional Crisis
Sherrilyn Ifill Nov 5, 2025
Analysis
A Tale of Two Section Twos
Sherrilyn Ifill Oct 17, 2025
In Trump v. CASA, there are strong echoes of the Reconstruction Court.
"The lost cause." Currier & Ives. 1872. Library of Congress.
Essay
Reviving the Promise of the 14th Amendment
Originally published in the Howard Law Journal, this essay by Sherrilyn Ifill offers a vision on how to make the centerpiece of Reconstruction come alive again.
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