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Defining Civil Rights as 14th Amendment Turns 150 & a Look at Religious Freedom

The 14th Amendment is arguably one of the most important amendments to the US Constitution, but is its legacy being threatened? And, as the administration holds an international religious freedom summit, is the hypocrisy of the religious right coming into question?
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On this episode of The Critical Hour with Dr. Wilmer Leon, we'll look at the 14th Amendment and what it means in the development of civil rights. Section 1 reads in part, "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." Can this document protect us in the context of a growing surveillance state?

On our second segment we discuss race, religion and politics. On July 24th Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. Foreign Ministers and other elected and public figures from more than 80 countries attended the three-day event in Washington, DC. According to their web site the ministerial discussed outcomes to reaffirm international commitments to protect and preserve the religious freedom rights of all people. Those in attendance talked about ways to fight religious persecution and discrimination, and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all. What does this mean and is it full of hypocrisy?

GUESTS:

Michael Meltsner — Former Dean of Northeastern University School of Law, Matthews Distinguished University Professor of Law, and author of With Passion: An Activist Lawyer's Life.

Cornell Brooks — Civil Rights Activist, Senior Fellow at Brennan Center for Justice and New York University Law School Visiting Professor of Social Ethics, Law & Justice Movements.

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove — Activist and author of Reconstructing the Gospel: Finding Freedom from Slaveholder Religion.

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