Feb 14, 2018Frederick Douglass Turns 200. His Words and Resistance Remain Timeless.Today we honor the 200th birthday of Frederick Douglass, a world-renowned abolitionist and steadfast supporter of human rights. Douglass was enslaved from birth, but escaped at the age of 20. His exact birthday is unknown as there were often no records kept for slaves. I have no accurate knowledge of…Racism4 min read
Sep 26, 2017Black athletes are not objects for our entertainment but people from families and communities impacted by acts of injustice. I support them.By Novella Coleman On Friday night at a rally in Alabama, home of the Confederate’s first capital, Donald Trump said, “Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out. He’s…Black Lives Matter3 min read
Feb 2, 2017We’re Very Grateful for Your Support… Now Let’s Build a MovementBy Abdi Soltani, Executive Director of the ACLU of Northern California Last weekend, I was flooded by email and text messages from people contacting me both for legal help for their families stranded at airports and from people contacting me to find out how they can help. …Civil Rights4 min read
Published in ACLU·Jan 11, 2017Dissent Is Patriotic. It’s Also a Powerful Antidote to Propaganda.In 1961, the ACLU successfully fought back against McCarthyism and demonstrated that lies can wither in the face of truth. — By Bethany Woolman “If you’re to be called a communist every time you stand up for basic American rights and freedoms, what’s likely to happen? Will you be silent? And if so, is this what the House Committee on Un-American Activities is really after — a silent, submissive, un-protesting America?”…Politics5 min read
Nov 28, 2016Standing on the Shoulders of My Ancestors: My Journey through the National Museum of African American History and CultureRising became a metaphor for me as I wound my way up the levels of the museum. — By Candice Francis On opening day of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., I crossed the threshold of this impressive edifice with a memory deeply embedded in my psyche. Many years ago, I visited West Africa for an extended stay and had the…African American History5 min read
Published in ACLU·Nov 21, 2016My Mother Was Incarcerated in an Internment Camp as a Child. She Tells Us 2016 Reminds Her of 1942.The lessons of internment should be clear: Racial and religious profiling are never warranted. — By Julia Harumi Mass My mother was seven years old when she and her family were evacuated from the West Coast and forced to live in an Army barrack behind barbed wire in an internment camp in Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Born in Los Angeles, she had been taught in school…Immigration4 min read
Oct 17, 2016Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter provided data for surveillance product marketed to target “Ferguson” & “Mike Brown” protesters By Matt Cagle October 11, 2016 The ACLU of California has obtained records showing that Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram provided user data access to Geofeedia, a developer of a social media monitoring product that we have seen marketed to law enforcement as a tool to monitor activists and protesters. We…Privacy6 min read
Sep 22, 2016Police use of social media surveillance software is escalating, and activists are in the digital crosshairsBy Nicole Ozer It goes without saying that speaking out against police violence or government overreach shouldn’t land you in a surveillance database. But it can, and it does. The ACLU of California has received thousands of pages of public records revealing that law enforcement agencies across the state are…Privacy5 min read
Jul 6, 2016The government wants to take away my license because I’m poor. I need it to survive.By Dion Manuel Wright Driving is not a luxury for me, it’s a necessity. Español abajo. My life depends on driving. And Santa Clara County wants to take away my license. I’m sure there are lots of other people out there in situations like mine. I’m 46 and in extremely…Health8 min read
Mar 24, 2016Two Lawyers Walk into a Bar. And Get Kicked Out for Being Black.By Abre’ Conner and Novella Coleman ACLU lawyers are used to taking on injustice and speaking out on behalf of our clients. This time the discrimination happened to us. We began the evening on a quest for a good karaoke night, and went to a bar in Fresno, Calif., …Black Lives Matter4 min read
