Rangel Emphasizes Importance of 14th Amendment

Statement

Congressman Charles B. Rangel, who represents the 13th Congressional District of New York that includes Upper Manhattan and parts of the Bronx, emphasizes the importance of the 14th Amendment on the 148th Anniversary of its ratification.

"Ratified on July 9th, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution is one of the most important safeguards of civil rights in our nation's history. Countering the discriminatory "Black Codes" implemented by various states after the abolishment of slavery, the 14th Amendment provided that all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens entitled to equal protection under the law. The Amendment also prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty or property without due process.

Though originally drafted to guarantee rights for newly freed African Americans, the 14th Amendment has protected the rights of various marginalized groups and has been cited in many landmark cases, such as Roe v. Wade (reproductive rights), Reed v. Reed (gender discrimination), and Brown v. Board of Education (racial desegregation in schools), to name a few. While the 14th Amendment has been instrumental in making great strides towards true equality in our country, the equal rights secured with the ratific­­ation of the 14th Amendment have long been under attack. The vestiges these rights were meant to repair still are visible through the disproportionate imprisonment of African Americans and Latinos, the gutting of the Voting Rights Act, and the continuous violence against minorities, among many other issues.

The tragic stories of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, the five Dallas police officers killed during a peaceful protest, and the countless others whose lives have been taken without due process of the law, remind us that the words "equal protection under the law" are more than just a phrase on a paper; these words are a call to action. Our laws must be equally enforced for the protection of every person --especially those who are most vulnerable. On this 148th anniversary, I want to emphasize that it is our duty to combat the widespread inequality that prevails within our country and threatens one of America's core values: liberty and justice for all. We must ensure that all people, regardless of color or creed, are granted the freedoms their humanity deserves and requires."

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