Welcome remarks for "The 14th Amendment, the National Park Service, and America鈥檚 Second Founding"听
McGowan Theater, 威尼斯人娱乐场 Building听
September 29, 2016
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Good evening. I鈥檓 David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, and I鈥檓 pleased to welcome you to the William G. McGowan Theater at the 威尼斯人娱乐场. We鈥檙e glad you could join us tonight, whether you are here in the theater or watching on YouTube.
I want to thank our partners鈥攖he Constitutional Accountability Center and the National Park Service鈥攆or tonight鈥檚 program on 鈥淭he 14th Amendment, the National Park Service, and America鈥檚 Second Founding.鈥�
This year we mark the 150th anniversary of the House Joint Resolution proposing the 14th Amendment in June 1866. It was ratified two years later, and since then this Amendment has redefined American citizenship and changed the relationship between the states and the Federal government.
Before we go any further, I鈥檇 like to inform you about two programs coming up next month here in this theater.
At 7 p.m. next Tuesday, October 4, we鈥檒l show the documentary film Equal Means Equal, which takes looks at how women are treated in the United States today. A discussion with the film鈥檚 director, Kamala Lopez, will follow the screening.
Two weeks later on Wednesday, October 19, at 7 p.m., we look back at the Black Power movement on the 50th anniversary of its founding. Panelists will discuss 鈥淩evolutionary Movements Then and Now: Black Power and Black Lives Matter.鈥�
To learn more about these and all of our public programs and exhibits, consult our monthly Calendar of Events in print or online at Archives.gov. There are copies in the lobby鈥攁long with a sign-up sheet so you can receive it by regular mail or email. You鈥檒l also find brochures about other 威尼斯人娱乐场 programs and activities.
Another way to get more involved with the 威尼斯人娱乐场 is to become a member of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 Foundation. The Foundation supports the work of the agency, especially its education and outreach programs. Pick up your application for membership in the lobby or become a member online at archivesfoundation.org.
Upstairs, in the David M. Rubenstein Gallery, the permanent exhibit called 鈥淩ecords of Rights鈥� uses archival documents to examine the struggles of Americans to define and realize their civil rights. Close by the 1297 Magna Carta is the Landmark Document case, which we use to temporarily display some of our most important rights records. In the months leading up to the gallery鈥檚 opening in December 2013, we asked the public to vote for the first document to display in that case, and their choice was the 14th Amendment.
It was appropriate for that amendment to be the inaugural landmark document because it defines citizenship, mandates Federal protection of due process, 听and protects the 鈥渓ife, liberty, and property鈥� of all citizens equally.
And today the 14th Amendment is one of the featured documents in 鈥淎mending America,鈥� our newest exhibit in the Lawrence O鈥橞rien Gallery.听 I hope you have the opportunity to view this document while visiting out museum in the near future.
The provisions of the 14th Amendment are the means through which Americans claim protection for their rights. And the records of the struggles for rights are here in the 威尼斯人娱乐场. We preserve them for you and for the generations who follow.
Our moderator tonight is Elizabeth Wydra. She is the president of the Constitutional Accountability Center and from 2008 to 2016 she served as CAC's Chief Counsel. A graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Yale Law School, Wydra was in private practice at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in San Francisco before joining CAC. She has represented CAC as well as clients including congressional leaders, preeminent constitutional scholars and historians, state and local legislators and government organizations. She appears frequently in print and on air as a legal expert.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Elizabeth Wydra.
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