Ann Arbor, MI, April 27, 2026– The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library is pleased to announce
a special event featuring constitutional law scholar Akhil Reed Amar, who will present his
one-hour program, America at 250, with Special Emphasis on the Proposition that All Men are
Created Equal on May 7 at 6:30 p.m. at the Library, 1000 Beal Ave., Ann Arbor, MI.

Two-hundred and fifty years ago, America famously proclaimed that “all men are created equal.”
That same year, Pennsylvanians led by Benjamin Franklin declared that “all men are born
equally free and independent.” This year, Americans are once again discussing issues of
creational equality and birth equality—this time in the context of a great debate over the meaning
of birthright citizenship. How will the Supreme Court decide this issue? How should it decide?
What would Lincoln have thought about the current debate? Yale Law School Professor Akhil
Reed Amar will examine these and related questions through the lens of his recent book, Born
Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840–1920.

“I am beyond thrilled to welcome Mr. Amar back to his hometown of Ann Arbor,” said Brooke
Clement, Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. “His ability to take
constitutional scholarship and engage with learners of all ages is something special and I cannot
wait to attend this program!”

Akhil Reed Amar is Sterling Professor of Law and Political Science at Yale University, where he
teaches constitutional law in both Yale College and Yale Law School. After graduating from Yale
College, summa cum laude, in 1980 and from Yale Law School in 1984, and clerking for then
Judge (later Justice) Stephen Breyer, Amar joined the Yale faculty in 1985 at the age of 26. He is
Yale’s only living professor to have won the University’s unofficial triple crown: the Sterling
Chair for scholarship, the DeVane Medal for teaching, and the Lamar Award for alumni service.

Amar’s work has won awards from both the American Bar Association and the Federalist
Society, and he has been cited by Supreme Court justices across the spectrum in over fifty
cases—tops among living scholars under age 70. He was an informal consultant to the popular
TV show, The West Wing, and his scholarship has been showcased on many broadcasts, including
The Colbert Report, Morning Joe, AC360, Fox News, and Erin Burnett Outfront.

Following the program, there will be book sales, signing, and a dessert reception.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged:
www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/events

If you are unable to attend in person we will be livestreaming the program on YouTube. 

About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum Opened to the public in
September 1981, the Gerald R. Ford Museum allows visitors to experience highlights from the
lives of President Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States (1974–1977), and his wife,
Betty Ford. The museum exhibits teach democratic citizenship and allow for quiet reflection. In
addition to the permanent exhibits, changing temporary exhibits draw artifacts from partner
museums nationwide. Part of the presidential library system of the National Archives and
Records Administration (NARA), a federal agency, the Ford Museum is in downtown Grand
Rapids, Michigan. The Ford Library is located on the north campus of the University of
Michigan in Ann Arbor. For more information, visit www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov.

About the National Archives The National Archives and Records Administration is the nation's
record keeper. It safeguards and manages the official records of the U.S. Government, ensuring
the documentation of our nation's history. For more information, visit www.archives.gov.

About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation The Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Foundation fosters increased awareness of the life, career, values and legacy of America’s 38th
President. It does so through activities designed to promote the high ideals of integrity, honesty,
and candor that defined President Ford’s extraordinary career of public service. The Foundation
promotes the ideals, values, commitment to public service and historical legacy of President
Gerald R. Ford and further promotes greater civic engagement and recognition of integrity
wherever it exists in the public arena. It supports permanent and changing exhibits designed to
promote historical literacy; conferences; educational outreach and other programs, both scholarly
and popular.