Films

The 14th Amendment fundamentally reshaped the U.S. with a promise declaring that anyone born on American soil is a citizen, yet the idea of who belongs has remained fiercely contested for 150 years. Ava DuVernay (Origin), who previously examined the 13th Amendment, now turns her lens toward the ongoing struggle over American identity.  

Comprised of expert interviews with politicians, lawyers, scholars, and culture critics, this documentary traces how the nation’s present course is shaped by beliefs inherited from the past. Not a retrospective, but a wide-angle look at the world around us, rendered with depth, artistry, and dedication to humanity; this work illuminates the present to show our future.

Discussion with Sherrilyn Ifill, founder of Howard University’s 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy and former head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.