Alex tells the story of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, a former Kentucky slaveowner who became the sole voice left on the Supreme Court defending equal rights under the law.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Alex tells the story of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, a former Kentucky slaveowner who became the sole voice left on the Supreme Court defending equal rights under the law.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Alex tells the story of Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, a former Kentucky slaveowner who became the sole voice left on the Supreme Court defending equal rights under the law. 

The Great Dissenter (Plessy v. Ferguson) | The Equal Protection Clause, Pt. 1

Alex discusses the chaotic 1876 Presidential election, involving disputed ballots, voter suppression, and political brinkmanship that led to end of Reconstruction Era and turned the tide against racial equality.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Alex discusses the chaotic 1876 Presidential election, involving disputed ballots, voter suppression, and political brinkmanship that led to end of Reconstruction Era and turned the tide against racial equality.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Alex discusses the chaotic 1876 Presidential election, involving disputed ballots, voter suppression, and political brinkmanship that led to end of Reconstruction Era and turned the tide against racial equality. 

Centennial Crisis (The Election of 1876) | The Equal Protection Clause, Pt. 1

Alex retells the story of Abraham Lincoln navigating the Civil War, Radical Republicans, and a divided nation to abolish slavery and secure equal rights. From the abolition of slavery to the drafting of the 14th Amendment, this episode explores the fierce political, legal, and military battles that reshaped the Supreme Court, transformed the South, and paved the way for the first African Americans to hold office in Congress.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Alex retells the story of Abraham Lincoln navigating the Civil War, Radical Republicans, and a divided nation to abolish slavery and secure equal rights. From the abolition of slavery to the drafting of the 14th Amendment, this episode explores the fierce political, legal, and military battles that reshaped the Supreme Court, transformed the South, and paved the way for the first African Americans to hold office in Congress.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Alex retells the story of Abraham Lincoln navigating the Civil War, Radical Republicans, and a divided nation to abolish slavery and secure equal rights. From the abolition of slavery to the drafting of the 14th Amendment, this episode explores the fierce political, legal, and military battles that reshaped the Supreme Court, transformed the South, and paved the way for the first African Americans to hold office in Congress. 

Radical Republicans (The Reconstruction Amendments) | The Equal Protection Clause, Pt. 1

Alex retells the dramatic story of Charles Sumner’s fiery Senate speech, the brutal caning that followed, and the Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision, showing how these events set the stage for Abraham Lincoln, the 14th Amendment, and the fight for equality in America.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Alex retells the dramatic story of Charles Sumner’s fiery Senate speech, the brutal caning that followed, and the Supreme Court’s infamous &lt;em&gt;Dred Scott&lt;/em&gt; decision, showing how these events set the stage for Abraham Lincoln, the 14th Amendment, and the fight for equality in America.&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Alex retells the dramatic story of Charles Sumner’s fiery Senate speech, the brutal caning that followed, and the Supreme Court’s infamous Dred Scott decision, showing how these events set the stage for Abraham Lincoln, the 14th Amendment, and the fight for equality in America. 

A House Divided (Dred Scott v. Sandford) | The Equal Protection Clause, Pt. 1

Creator and host Alex Akhavan introduces Season 2 of May It Please The Court: the story of the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Effectively the story of race and discrimination in the United States from the lens of the US Supreme Court, the season will be told in two parts.  Part 1 begins shortly before the Civil War through the end of segregation while Part 2 will delve into the evolution of how the Supreme Court reviews discrimination cases on the basis of race, sex, and sexual orientation. Streaming on May 19, 2026!

<description>&lt;p&gt;Creator and host Alex Akhavan introduces Season 2 of May It Please The Court: the story of the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Effectively the story of race and discrimination in the United States from the lens of the US Supreme Court, the season will be told in two parts.  Part 1 begins shortly before the Civil War through the end of segregation while Part 2 will delve into the evolution of how the Supreme Court reviews discrimination cases on the basis of race, sex, and sexual orientation. Streaming on May 19, 2026!&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Creator and host Alex Akhavan introduces Season 2 of May It Please The Court: the story of the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.  Effectively the story of race and discrimination in the United States from the lens of the US Supreme Court, the season will be told in two parts.  Part 1 begins shortly before the Civil War through the end of segregation while Part 2 will delve into the evolution of how the Supreme Court reviews discrimination cases on the basis of rac...

Introduction to Season 2 | The Equal Protection Clause

May It Please the Court immerses listeners in the dramatic history of the Supreme Court’s most consequential rulings and unpacks how the same constitutional sentence has been reinterpreted across generations, shaping the world we live in today.

May It Please the Court

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