I'm Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, and welcome to We The People, a weekly show of constitutional debate.

The National Constitution Center is the only institution in America chartered by Congress to disseminate

information about the US Constitution on a nonpartisan basis and on today's show we do

a deep dive into the 15th Amendment which was ratified on February 3rd, 1870 as the last of the

three reconstruction amendments.

You know that we're celebrating the 150th anniversaries of the three reconstruction amendments over the next five years.

This is the 150th of the 14th.

Happy birthday 14th, but today we're going to talk about the 15th.

And here is what the 15th Amendment says.

The right of citizens of the United States to vote

shall not be denied or abridged by the United States

or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

And it goes on to say that Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Joining me to discuss the history and meaning of the 15th Amendment are two of its

leading experts and the two contributors to the National Constitution Center's

spectacular new interactive Constitution.

Rick Pildis is the Sudler Family Professor of interactive Constitution.

Rick Pildis is the Sutherland's

of constitutional law at the New York University School of Law,

and Bradley Smith is the Josiah H. Blackmore

the second, Shirley M. Naught not designated professor of law at capital

university law school what a great chair Brad and Rick Brad thank you so much

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