When the Supreme Court decided for corporations in the Citizens United v. FEC case, it elevated knowledge of the doctrine of “corporate personhood” to new heights. Hundreds of thousands of people now know what those words mean.
But as awful as Citizens United is, corporate personhood wasn’t created with that case.Corporate Personhood was concocted by corporate lawyers 127 years ago.
On May 10, 1886 in the Santa Clara v. Southern Pacific Railroad case, the Court is said to have given corporations their first foothold in the Constitution.
In the case, corporations argued they are protected under the 14th amendment — the amendment passed to ensure equal protection of African Americans after slavery was abolished. Since then, there has been case after case in which the Court expanded the Constitutional “rights” of corporations.
This year, on the 127th “birthday” of corporate persons, Move to Amend activists will be organizing actions and events all over the nation.
Register your community’s action below or sign up to participate in an action already happening near you!
Move to Amend has a bunch of resources to help you pull off a great event.
