Martha S. Jones, J.D, Ph.D., is the Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and Professor of History at The Johns Hopkins University. Presented by William L. Clements Library-University of Michigan, 7 May 2019.
As former slaves struggled to become citizens, they redefined citizenship for all Americans. With her 2018 book "Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America," Jones shows how the Fourteenth Amendment constitutionalized the birthright principle, fulfilling the long-held aspirations of African Americans. Dr. Jones is also an active voice in the national conversation about birthright citizenship.