Series Review: "Amend: The Fight for America" (2021).

"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This is Amend: The Fight for America. This documentary series created by Robe Imbriano and Tom Yellin and directed by Kenny Leon. Will Smith hosts this look at the evolving, often lethal, fight for equal rights in America through the lens of the US Constitution's 14th Amendment.

On July 9 1868, The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the U.S. Constitution was adopted as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Often considered one of the most consequential amendments, it addresses citizenship rights and equal protection under the law and was proposed in response to issues related to former slaves following the American Civil War. The amendment was bitterly contested, particularly by the states of the defeated Confederacy, which were forced to ratify it in order to regain representation in Congress. Its first section, is one of the most litigated parts of the Constitution, forming the basis for landmark Supreme Court decisions regarding racial segregation, abortion, the 2000 presidential election, and same-sex marriage. The amendment limits the actions of all state and local officials, as well as those acting on behalf of such officials. The first section includes several clauses: the Citizenship Clause, Privileges or Immunities Clause, Due Process Clause, and Equal Protection Clause. The Citizenship Clause nullified the Supreme Court's decision, which held that Americans descended from African slaves could not be citizens. The Due Process Clause prohibits state and local governments from depriving persons of life, liberty, or property without a fair procedure. The Equal Protection Clause requires each state to provide equal protection under the law to all people, including all non-citizens, within its jurisdiction. This clause has been the basis for many decisions rejecting irrational or unnecessary discrimination against people belonging to various groups. The second, third, and fourth sections of the amendment are seldom litigated. However, the second section's reference to "rebellion, or other crime" has been invoked as a constitutional ground for felony disenfranchisement. The fourth section was held to prohibit a current Congress from abrogating a contract of debt incurred by a prior Congress. The fifth section gives Congress the power to enforce the amendment's provisions by "appropriate legislation"; however, this power may not be used to contradict a Supreme Court decision interpreting the amendment.

This documentary series about the importance of the neglected 14th Amendment, and other little known facts of the U.S. Constitution, are given new reasons to exist, now more than ever, thanks to a charismatic Will Smith and co. throughout the uplifting six episodes. It's an unforgettable reminder that securing the protections granted by the 14th Amendment -- like America itself -- remains very much a work in progress.

Simon says Amend: The Fight for America receives:

Also, see my review for American Son.