ACLU
ACLU & CCR Lawsuit: American Boy Killed By U.S. Drone Strike
updated
If you want to keep libraries free from censorship, join these authors in thanking a librarian for making books - all books, even those whose themes or content may offend powerful political interests - available in our communities.
Go to librarians.aclu.org to show your appreciation for your library workers.
#shorts
Book bans are a violation of our right to learn — this National Library Week, join us and Jessica Williams as we read a banned book in support of librarians fighting for our right to read.
librarians.aclu.org
During this emergency town hall, a panel of ACLU experts breaks down what the decision means for abortion access, how the ACLU is fighting back, and what you can to do to help. The speakers include Jennifer Dalven, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project Director, and J.J. Straight, ACLU Liberty Division Deputy Director. The moderator is Rebecca Lowell Edwards, ACLU Chief Communications Officer.
Protect medication abortion now. Take action at http://www.aclu.org/MifeAccess.
Stay in the fight with the ACLU. Go to http://aclu.org/protect-abortion and become a monthly donor today.
Companies across the country can join the fight at http://www.dontbanequality.com, a robust network of businesses speaking out in support of comprehensive abortion care.
We’re fighting not only for our own freedom and autonomy, but for future generations who deserve love, support, and community.
Ash Hall, Policy & Advocacy Strategist at the ACLU of Texas, testified before the Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs on March 16, 2023.
Reproductive freedom has been important to us since our founding over 100 years ago, and we’ll continue to work with our affiliates and partners to ensure everyone is able to get the care they need — to have a child or end a pregnancy.
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Story and Research by Becky Edwards, Louise Melling, Jennifer Dalven, Ria Tabacco Mar, Katherine Palm, Rita Wang, Dorothy Ehrlich and Marcia Gallo
Directed by Gwen Schroeder
Written by Andrew Everett, Gwen Schroeder, Sarah Michaels and Rebecca McCray
Executive Producer: Stefan Smith
Footage Research and Audio Recording: Jeremiah Glazer
Voiceover: Gwen Schroeder
Produced in collaboration with HardPin
Supervising Producer: Sara Kenigsberg
Editor: Elyssa Cusimano
Assistant Editor: Josie Pommering
Additional Editor Support: Hamad Al-Tourah and Patrick Bauer
Motion Designer and Creative Direction: Will Hyler
Sound Mixer: Brandon Hickey
Associate Producers: Cara Maiatico and Niema Dancy
In Nebraska, advocates are urging state lawmakers to pass bill LB630, which would end discrimination based on hairstyles, natural hair, and head coverings. The bill would also ensure that Indigenous students could wear tribal regalia at graduation ceremonies. Nebraska lawmakers and lawmakers across the country must protect students’ right to be themselves at school.
For more information, please visit: aclu.org/news/racial-justice/state-lawmakers-must-protect-the-cultural-and-religious-expression-of-indigenous-students
In the last few years states have advanced a record number of bills that attack LGBTQ rights, especially transgender youth. The ACLU is tracking over 400 of these attacks here: http://aclu.org/tracking-anti-lgbtq-leg
Stay up to date on anti-LGBTQ legislation and help us fight back: http://aclu.org/tracking-anti-lgbtq-leg
It’s popular with today’s Supreme Court — and it poses a big threat to women’s rights.
Listen to the full episode of the podcast:
aclu.org/podcast
We honor Judy for her lifetime dedication to fighting for our communities.
Find out more about Judy Heumann on our podcast
aclu.org/podcast/judy-heumann-on-disability-discrimination-and-the-fight-for-rights
The initiative will confront the criminalization of abortion care in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, by establishing and working alongside a network of experienced criminal defense attorneys across the country prepared to defend health care providers, patients, and those who assist patients facing criminal investigations, charges, or prosecutions.
The effects of banning abortion fall hardest on women and people with low-incomes, people of color, young people, and other marginalized communities who are more likely to suffer the health, economic, and life consequences of being forced to continue a pregnancy to term. As with criminal law enforcement in general, the people who are most likely to be investigated and prosecuted are Black, Brown, and those with low incomes.
By criminalizing essential healthcare, politicians and prosecutors deny the humanity of people who become pregnant, seeking to control their bodies, and determine their futures. We are here and we are ready to fight for providers, supporters and those who receive abortion care.
To learn more about the ACLU’s Abortion Criminal Defense Initiative, visit our site: aclu.org/acdi
1) The death penalty in Kansas is racist.
The death penalty’s history is intertwined with the history of lynching and racial oppression. Like lynching, the death penalty in Kansas has been used more often against Black men charged with killing white women. Race continues to play a major role today in who is charged and sentenced to death, as well as who serves on the jury.
Black people are disproportionately excluded from serving on death penalty juries because people who oppose the death penalty – which Black people overwhelmingly do – are weeded out during jury selection. This violates the rights of Black Kansans to serve on juries and the right of the accused person to be judged by a jury of their peers.
2) The death penalty in Kansas is unfair.
Race and the quality of an accused person’s lawyer play outsized roles in who gets the death penalty. These are unacceptable and unconstitutional reasons for a person to get the death penalty.
3) Finally, the death penalty in Kansas doesn’t make us safer.
There is absolutely no evidence that capital punishment prevents future crimes. Nevertheless, Kansas spends huge sums of money on a system that doesn’t make Kansans safer.
We’ll be in court this month, compelled by history and the pursuit of equal justice, to challenge Kansas’ racist, unfair, and unconstitutional death penalty law.
Briana is an abortion storyteller with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
Cazembe is an abortion storyteller with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
Angel is an abortion storyteller with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
Maleeha is an abortion storyteller with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
Briana is an abortion storyteller with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
One year later, we reached out to them to talk about what abortion activism looks like in a post-Roe world, and how abortion storytelling continues to change minds. Go to aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/what-its-like-to-fight-for-abortion-rights-post-roe to read more from our most recent conversation with them.
Angel, Briana, Cazembe, Maleeha, and Veronika are storytellers with We Testify, an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
The fight continues.
Every child deserves access to the essential, life-saving care they need, so we filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Arkansas' law. We're representing four families with transgender children who joined our lawsuit to protect access to gender affirming care for all youth who need it.
To learn more about HB 1570, our lawsuit, and our clients, visit aclu.org/cases/brandt-et-al-v-rutledge-et-al
We should not have to live in fear of being targeted by law enforcement because of the color of our skin, the religion we practice, or where we were born.
To learn more about Sheyann and her decades of activism, visit aclu.org/news/voting-rights/the-civil-rights-movements-smallest-freedom-fighter-on-the-power-of-your-vote
Since 1978, the ACLU has served as a court-appointed monitor of the LA County Jail system, gathering information from the county and from incarcerated people in order to advocate on their behalf when jail conditions fall below basic constitutional standards of safety, hygiene and decency.
In the summer of 2022, Jhean, was one of many who suffered from pervasive abuse in the Inmate Reception Center.
Years ago, the LA County Board of Supervisors committed to a “care first, jails last” approach to mental health treatment, but the Board of Supervisors has yet to commit to a timeline for establishing the thousands of community beds and services needed to reduce overcrowding and stop the cycle of people coming in and out of jail because they cannot access necessary mental health care, substance use treatment, or housing.
To learn more about Celia and Jhean, and the conditions in the LA County Jail system, please visit: aclu.org/news/criminal-law-reform/la-countys-failure-to-invest-in-alternatives-to-incarceration-fuels-inhumane-jail-conditions
Imara is a plaintiff in Ramos v. Mayorkas, where she is challenging the Trump administration’s termination of TPS for Nicaragua. She is one of over 300,000 TPS holders at risk of deportation and family separation whose fate now rests with the Biden administration.
To learn more about Imara, visit: aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-us-government-gave-them-protection-now-it-may-take-it-away
To take action and tell the Biden administration to protect TPS holders, visit: action.aclu.org/send-message/keep-families-together-and-protect-tps-holders
In 2018, President Trump removed protections for Nepal while the country was still recovering from the massive damage caused by the earthquake, in addition to other problems.
Keshav is now one of over 300,000 people at risk of deportation and family separation from the Trump terminations. His fate now rests with the Biden administration.
To learn more about Keshav, visit: aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-us-government-gave-them-protection-now-it-may-take-it-away
To take action and tell the Biden administration to protect TPS holders, visit: action.aclu.org/send-message/keep-families-together-and-protect-tps-holders
Sorayda fled to the United States to escape the instability in Honduras when she was a child. Around the time of her arrival in the U.S., Hurricane Mitch devastated Honduras, killing thousands and displacing many more, and leading the U.S. government to designate the country for TPS.
Now, Sorayda has lived in the U.S. for 24 years — more than half her life. She is married to another TPS holder, and worries continually that she and her husband could lose their TPS, and either be separated from their children or be forced to take them to an unfamiliar place, far from their home. Her children have never been to Honduras.
Sorayda is a plaintiff in Bhattarai v. Mayorkas, where she is challenging Trump’s termination of TPS for Honduras.
To learn more about Sorayda, visit: aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/the-us-government-gave-them-protection-now-it-may-take-it-away
To take action and tell the Biden administration to protect TPS holders, visit: action.aclu.org/send-message/keep-families-together-and-protect-tps-holders
This November 8th, we have the power to send a message to elected officials about what we value and what we want them to prioritize. That power comes from you.
During this town hall, we’ll show you how you can hold politicians accountable by engaging your networks. We’ll give you the tools to vote your values and have informed conversations with your friends and families. In addition, our experts will discuss what’s at stake for civil liberties in the midterms and brief you on how down ballot races like Secretary of State and District Attorney can tip the balance for or against civil liberties. Along the way, we’ll share our own moments of motivation and inspiration – as well as a special live performance at the end!
SPEAKERS:
Brigitte Amiri (She/Her) ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project Deputy Director
Sophia Lin Lakin, (She/Her) ACLU Voting Rights Project Interim Co-Director
Chase Strangio (He/Him or They/Them), ACLU Deputy Director for Transgender Justice
Rebecca Lowell Edwards (She/Her), ACLU Chief Communications Officer
aja monet (She/Her), Surrealist Blues Poet (Special Guest)
Learn how to Vote for Your Values and Fight for Your Rights
Go to aclu.org/voteyourvalues today.
Join ACLU People Power’s Vote Your Values team to get connected with opportunities to reach voters in key states ahead of the midterms. Go to aclu.org/volunteer.
Visit aclu.org/voteyourvalues learn more about how you can fight for our voting rights this election.
They think these issues are decided, but this November, we can use our votes to fight for our rights.
We want you to pledge to vote your values and help to make sure your friends and family do, too. The ACLU has the tools and resources to enable you to do just that.
Go to aclu.org/midterms-2022 to pledge to vote your values and learn how to fight for your rights.
Donate to National Abortion Funds:
abortionfunds.org
Six Ways to Join the Fight:
aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/six-ways-join-fight-for-abortion-rights-roe-v-wade
Please sign up for ACLU's Abortion Activist Series to learn how you can keep up the fight for abortion access. We will share ways to get involved through rallies, activist trainings, and more: aclu.org/AbortionActivist
For those seeking care:
Ineedana.org
abortionfinder.org
hopeclinic.com
ppslr.org/rlc
Presented by ACLU
Directed by Gwen Schroeder
Produced by Emily Geraghty and Sarah Michaels
Executive Produced by Andrew Everett and Gwen Schroeder
Director of Photography, Editor: Emily Geraghty
Additional Camera: Molly Kaplan
Assistant Editor: Casey Doherty
Sound Mixer: Matthew Wefel, Sean Kilker
Interviews: Rebecca McCray
Story: Sophia Ebanks and Johanna Silver
Motion Designer: Brandon Lake
Color Grading by Irving Harvey
Supervising Colorist: Matthew Greenberg
Colorist: Ryan Berger
Finishing Producer: Samuel Gursky
Finishing Coordinator: Madz Smith-Ledford
Join Miss Peppermint, the ACLU Ambassador for Trans Justice, as she sits down with We Testify Abortion storytellers Cazembe Murphy Jackson and Jack Qu’emi to discuss why LGTBQ rights are reproductive rights — and reproductive rights are LGBTQ rights.
To learn more about the intersection of reproductive rights and LGBTQ rights, go to aclu.org/news/reproductive-freedom/why-we-use-inclusive-language-to-talk-about-abortion
During this emergency town hall, an expert panel of ACLU attorneys and advocates discuss the devastating impact this decision will have on reproductive rights across the country, the ACLU’s short- and long-term response, and the path forward. The speakers include Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project Deputy Director; David Cole, ACLU Legal Director; J.J. Straight, ACLU Liberty Division Deputy Director; and Rebecca Lowell Edwards, ACLU Chief Communications Officer.
Join the fight for the long haul. Go to http://aclu.org/monthly and make your monthly gift today.
Sign up for ACLU People Power's Abortion Activist Series to learn how you can fight for abortion access: http://aclu.org/AbortionActivist
Abortion funds are a critical part of abortion access. Go to http://NNAF.org/ACLU to provide support for more than 80 local abortion funds across the country.
We asked experts outside of the ACLU to dig into these urgent topics to share their visions of a more inclusive and equitable future.
In this video, author and theorist Da’Shaun Harrison discusses how fatness—just as Blackness—is criminalized, penalized, objectified, and marginalized in our society, and how that leads to folks not getting the proper resources and care they need to survive.
You can follow Da'Shaun and their work at twitter.com/DaShaunLH
To learn more about the ACLU's Systemic Equality Campaign, go to aclu.org/news/topic/systemic-equality-addressing-americas-legacy-of-racism-and-systemic-discrimination
Could we address the racism embedded in infrastructure and city planning – where Black and Brown residents have been dispossessed and displaced for centuries? Where communities like Flint, Michigan still cannot access clean water due to government neglect?
We sat down with Destin Jenkins, assistant professor of history at Stanford University, to discuss our history and how modern investments can advance racial and economic justice.
You can follow Destin and his work at twitter.com/DestinKJenkins
To learn more about the ACLU's Systemic Equality Campaign, go to aclu.org/news/topic/systemic-equality-addressing-americas-legacy-of-racism-and-systemic-discrimination
Could we solve the gaps in our education systems -- where Black, Indigenous, Latinx students, and students with disabilities are still disproportionately attending overcrowded, overpoliced, and under-resourced schools? Where we spend less on the potential of our youth than we do on punishing people in prison?
Activist and social impact strategist Jamira Burley explains how investing in education for all students can help address America’s legacy of racism and systemic discrimination.
You can follow Jamira and her work at twitter.com/JamiraBurley
To learn more about the ACLU's Systemic Equality Campaign, go to aclu.org/news/topic/systemic-equality-addressing-americas-legacy-of-racism-and-systemic-discrimination
Having access to affordable abortion care opens the door to fulfilling educational and career goals, better parenting, staying true to gender identities, and other critical parts of life that everyone should have the ability to choose for themselves. No politician should make those decisions for us.
Go to aclu.org/abortion-stories to read our abortion storytelling series in partnership with We Testify.
We Testify is an organization dedicated to the leadership and representation of people who have abortions. We Testify unapologetically believes that people who have abortions are our future. We Testify believes that everyone who has abortions deserves unconditional love and support. We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for. Learn more at https://www.wetestify.org.
Supreme Court decisions typically don’t come out until June, but this leaked draft, confirmed by Justice Alito himself, has sent early shockwaves across the country. In the draft majority opinion, Justice Alito writes that both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, decisions that have been on the books for up to 50 years, are overturned, making access to abortion no longer a legally protected right. Should this draft hold, this decision would turn back the clock on progress for people who can get pregnant and call into question much more than access to abortion.
Joining us to help us understand is Brigitte Amiri, the Deputy Director of the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project.
We have a long fight ahead of us—but the ACLU was made for moments like this. To donate to support our fight against this attack on reproductive autonomy and all the attacks that follow, please visit aclu.org/keepfighting. Thank you for stepping up and working together with us.
During this emergency town hall, a panel of ACLU experts breaks down what the Supreme Court’s leaked decision signals about its ultimate ruling, what an end to Roe v. Wade would mean for reproductive freedom, how the ACLU is fighting back, and what you can to do to help. The speakers include Brigitte Amiri, ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project Deputy Director; David Cole, ACLU Legal Director; Michele Goodwin, ACLU National Board Member and Chancellor’s Professor of Law at the University of California, Irvine; J.J. Straight, ACLU Liberty Division Deputy Director; and Rebecca Lowell Edwards, ACLU Chief Communications Officer.
Join the fight for the long haul. Go to http://www.aclu.org/monthly and make your monthly gift today.
Abortion funds are a critical part of abortion access, and their role will become even more important if Roe is overturned. Go to http://www.bit.ly/NNAF-abortionfunds on ActBlue's website to provide support for more than 80 local abortion funds across the country.
Take our pledge and join the ACLU's People Power network as a defender of abortion rights: http://www.aclu.org/abortion-pledge
During this town hall, you’ll hear from a panel of ACLU legal and advocacy experts on the scope of these threats, why they’re happening now, how the ACLU is fighting back, and what you can do to help. The speakers include Chase Strangio, ACLU Deputy Director for Transgender Justice; Emerson Sykes, Senior Staff Attorney, ACLU Speech Privacy & Technology Project; and Rebecca Lowell Edwards, ACLU Chief Communications Officer.
Show your support for students' right to learn by signing the ACLU pledge: http://www.aclu.org/RightToLearn
Show your support for trans youth by signing the ACLU’s parent pledge: http://www.aclu.org/SupportTransYouth
Visit http://www.aclu.org to stay updated on the ACLU’s work and to join the fight.
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
00:00 Intro
01:15 Why is Texas trying to take trans kids away from their supportive parents?
06:21 State legislative threats targeting trans youth
09:14 State legislative threats targeting students' right to learn
13:37 The motivating forces behind these threats
21:08 The impact on trans kids and their parents
28:03 The impact on students and teachers
32:19 How the ACLU is fighting back
36:45 How you can help
Today, WRP is headed by Director Ria Tabacco Mar. She explains more about why women’s rights are inextricably linked to the broader fight for gender justice.
Subscribe to the ACLU: youtube.com/channel/UC7M42vQrNmZ0tnmmenLWwBA?sub_confirmation=1
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Twitter: twitter.com/ACLU
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Subscribe to the ACLU: youtube.com/channel/UC7M42vQrNmZ0tnmmenLWwBA?sub_confirmation=1
Know your rights: aclu.org/know-your-rights
Website: aclu.org
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Twitter: twitter.com/ACLU
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Artist bio:
Octavia "Ink" Mingerink is a local illustrator, printmaker, and graphic designer. She believes in art as a form of expression, using her art to represent those who are underrepresented while bringing social justice issues to the forefront. As an illustrator, Octavia is driven and inspired by Black women. She’s set out to push forward those who are severely underrepresented and even excluded from the art industry. She wants to see women that look like her at the helm and she reflects that in her art. Constantly utilizing bright colors and dynamic movement in each piece, Octavia loves to incorporate flowers throughout her work. Pushing the message that we should give ourselves our flowers and celebrate growth and joy.
Artist statement:
Black Joy is freedom. Black Joy is radical. The Black Joy to come from systemic equality would change the world. For my personal journey as an artist I’ve been given opportunities I never imagined with the help for my community, family and friends. Black Joy leads to liberation and the freedom of self expression. With this type of community and access to resources I’m starting to paint my canvas, I get to paint my future. Every Black artist deserves that freedom. Finding your identity comes when one is given access to knowledge without boundaries.
Subscribe to the ACLU: youtube.com/channel/UC7M42vQrNmZ0tnmmenLWwBA?sub_confirmation=1
Know your rights: aclu.org/know-your-rights
Website: aclu.org
Instagram: instagram.com/aclu_nationwide
Twitter: twitter.com/ACLU
Facebook: facebook.com/aclu
Brandon Greene, Director, Racial & Economic Justice Program, ACLU of Northern CA
Housing, a Racial Justice Issue | Examining the impact of laws that criminalize those without housing, and the innovative work ahead to make housing a protected class.
Report: Outside the Law: The Legal War Against Unhoused People
aclusocal.org/sites/default/files/outsidethelaw-aclufdnsca-report.pdf
Micheal Golliet, Intern, Data, Development
Corporate Responsibility to the Wealth Gap | Tackling the 1965 Civil Rights act, William H. Brown, a prominent Black attorney who helped enforce the decree against AT&T joined the board of UPS which eventually led to more equitable hiring practices. The case is made that responsibility to help fix the wealth gap requires new thought in advancing opportunities while facing enormous economic changes today.
Lewis Conway Jr., Campaign Strategist, NPAD
Running with Conviction | The future of participatory democracy will rely heavily on the engagement, politicization, and leadership of justice-impacted communities. As what we call 'Democracy' faces an existential threat from within, Americans that have been historically penalized, criminalized, and disenfranchised are ready, willing, and able to shoulder the burden of saving it.
Texas Senate Bill “The Lewis Conway Bill” SB466: trackbill.com/bill/texas-senate-bill-466-relating-to-the-eligibility-of-persons-finally-convicted-of-a-felony-to-run-for-certain-public-offices/1654467
Dillon Nettles, Policy & Advocacy Director, ACLU of AL
The Southern Voting Right Project | The opportunities to continue to improve the political landscape rests with the South. The Southern Voting Rights Project at the ACLU affiliate level has many roads ahead to the midterms in 2022 and the 2024 election.
Anderson Curtis, Senior Policy Organizer, ACLU of CT
Pardon My Persistence | A triumphant story of overcoming policies and discrimination as a person formerly incarcerated while working to change these same policies in Connecticut.
Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ph.D., Author, Associate Professor, Ohio State University; President, Board of Directors, ACLU of Ohio 2019-2022, Vice president 2014-2019
The Forwarding Address | American Democracy is at its breaking point, under attack by those who seek to maintain the power structures of exclusionary policies. White Supremacy is a principle threat to the fabric of our democracy, requiring a shared understanding risk by all citizens.
#BlackFuture #ACLU #BlackERG #policy #BlackMenERG #politics #leadership #organizers #grassroots #movement #diversity #inclusion #equity #equality #America #civil #liberties #rights #racism #justice #power #policy #law