Written in the wreckage of the Civil War, the 14th Amendment was meant to close the door on the hierarchy of human worth. Instead, it has become a permanent argument. Ava DuVernay’s 14th pulls this constitutional fight out of the footnotes and into the present, chronicling the vicious battle over the amendment that has raged for over 150 years. Threading deep archival scholarship with piercing headlines of today, 14th brings together legal minds, politicians, historians and cultural voices in direct conversation with a question America still hasn’t settled: Who gets to belong?

Don’t miss 14TH playing exclusively at IPH, along with the two talkbacks we’re hosting throughout the film’s run (one discussion on November 27 and one on December 3).

On Friday, November 27, following the 7:30pm screening, stay for a moderated discussion with Sherrilyn Ifill, civil rights lawyer and founding director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy at the Howard University School of Law.

Sherrilyn Ifill is a civil rights lawyer and founding director of the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy at the Howard University School of Law. From 2013-2022, she served as the President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF), the nation’s premier civil rights law organization fighting for racial justice and equality. She recently served as a Ford Foundation Fellow and as the Klinsky Visiting Professor for Leadership & Progress at Harvard Law School, and as a fellow at the Museum of Modern Art. Ifill is currently the Vernon Jordan Distinguished Professor in Civil Rights at Howard Law School Ifill where she founded the 14th Amendment Center for Law & Democracy. 

Moderator: Mary C. Curtis, a columnist at Roll Call, is an award-winning journalist, podcast host and educator based in Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C. She is host of the CQ Roll Call podcast “Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis.”

Her coverage specialty is the intersection of politics, culture and race, and Curtis has covered presidential campaigns since 2008. She talks politics and culture on NPR-affiliate WFAE in Charlotte, and has contributed to NBC News, NPR, The Washington Post, MSNBC, CNN, The Root, ESPN and more. She has worked at The New York Times, the Charlotte Observer, the Baltimore Sun, and the Associated Press, and was national correspondent for AOL’s Politics Daily.

She hosts a variety of civic and cultural programs for organizations that include The King Center, Blumenthal Arts, the National Association of Black Journalists and the League of Women Voters.

Curtis is a Senior Facilitator with The OpEd Project, which increases the range of voices in opinion writing, facilitating “Write to Change the World” seminars, at Yale University, Cornell University, and the Ford Foundation and at the Aspen New Voices Fellowship in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, she was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Join us on Thursday, December 3, following the 7pm screening for a moderated post-film discussion with Geraldine Sumter, Esq., and Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Portia M. York.

Geraldine Sumter is a distinguished attorney with more than four decades of legal experience and a longstanding commitment to civil rights, employment law, and social justice. Since joining Ferguson, Chambers & Sumter, P.A., in 1982, she has built an extensive practice encompassing employment litigation, workers’ compensation, nonprofit and small business matters, and civil rights advocacy, including voting rights and school desegregation. Her work reflects a deep understanding of the legal systems, policies, and institutional structures that shape access to opportunity, equality, and justice.

A graduate of Howard University, where she earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Geraldine received her Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law in 1981. She is admitted to practice in both North Carolina and South Carolina and has been recognized by her peers as a Super Lawyer in employment litigation and by Business North Carolina as a member of its Legal Elite. Drawing on decades of legal practice and advocacy, Geraldine brings an informed perspective on civil rights, the pursuit of equal protection, and the enduring importance of accountability and justice in American society.

Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler is an Associate Professor of Bible and Director of the Center for Social Justice and Reconciliation at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina. An ordained Baptist minister, he holds a Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible and Biblical Archaeology from Duke University and a Master of Divinity from Howard University. His scholarship explores the intersections of race, Scripture, politics, and social justice, with particular attention to how biblical interpretation has shaped racial thought and the pursuit of justice in American society. He is the author of Can a Cushite Change His Skin? and co-author of The Genesis of Liberation: Biblical Interpretation in the Antebellum Narratives of the Enslaved.

Beyond academia and ministry, Dr. Sadler has dedicated much of his work to community organizing, voting rights, racial equity, and transformative justice. He has held leadership roles with the North Carolina NAACP, the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice, the Justice Action Mobilization Network, and the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, among other organizations. Grounded in his commitment to connecting faith, scholarship, and meaningful civic action, Dr. Sadler brings a valuable perspective on the historical and institutional dimensions of racial inequality, mass incarceration, and the ongoing pursuit of justice and social transformation.

Moderator: Dr. Portia M. York is a Charlotte-based fiber artist, educator, scholar, and consultant whose work explores identity, well-being, and the intersection of mathematics, art, and education. A lifelong crocheter, she founded York Creative Education Group and teaches Fiber Arts at Lenoir-Rhyne University and Business Administration at Central Piedmont Community College.
Prior to launching her creative education business, Dr. York spent 15 years as a school administrator in a North Carolina independent private school supporting students with diagnosed learning differences.

She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Urban Education, a Master of Business Management, and a Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques certification. Her artistic practice emphasizes the therapeutic benefits of crochet while merging mathematical structures with visual storytelling. Dr. York has taught crochet to youth andadults in Charlotte, Santa Fe, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Haiti, Guatemala, and the Bahamas. Her work has been widely exhibited and engages audiences through its dynamic presence and commitment to honoring heritage, community, and creative expression. As a member of The Society Incorporated, Supporting the Arts in Greater Charlotte, Dr. York promotes artistic excellence and community service to uplift the next generation. Driven by a commitment to underserved youth, York works to enhance opportunities for exposure and empowerment for talented young literary, visual, and performing artists.

An author and education & management consultant, Dr. York supports mission-driven organizations in advancing programming, business strategy, and fund development. She is also an active arts advocate and has served as a moderator and panelist for post-film screenings and community discussions at Independent Picture House.

Promotional support provided by the Harvey B. Gantt Center.