When I was invited to give a speech in Florida this month as part of a fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the decision in Gideon v. Wainwright, the first thing I did, of course, was to pull out my tattered copy of Gideon's Trumpet, Anthony Lewis's superb and evergreen account of the story behind the Supreme Court case guaranteeing indigent criminal defendants a right to counsel.
For nearly a century, the ACLU has been fighting back against encroachments on our civil rights and liberties wherever they take place—in courtrooms and classrooms, in the White House and in Congress. But today, like so many things in our lives, threats to our personal freedoms are moving online. That’s why the ACLU is going digital in the fight to protect them.
Today we’re thrilled to announce the launch of ACLU Action—the latest chapter in the ACLU's continuing evolution. ACLU Action is a cutting edge online organizing and digital campaigning platform that will allow you—along with hundreds of thousands of other ACLU supporters around the country—to put yourself in the center of the ACLU's work.
The Mudd Library is pleased to announce that the final two series of the third subgroup of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) records have been processed, and that the entire collection has been addressed is now available to the public.
September 17 is Constitution Day, and here’s a suggestion for how you might celebrate.
Gather some patriots -- cakes and ale and three-cornered hats optional -- and as a party game, see if your guests can answer some basic questions about the Constitution from a 1997 poll commissioned by the National Constitution Center. For example,
With Independence Day around the corner, we caught up with a few of this year’s speakers to get their thoughts on the Declaration of Independence, their connection to history, and celebrating at the National Archives.
By Laura W. Murphy, Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office at 6:03pm
On Independence Day, I will have the esteemed honor of being the first African American descendant ever asked to read the Declaration of Independence as part of a longstanding July 4th tradition at the National Archives. Recently, descendants of original signers were asked to read sections of the Declaration in homage to this country’s founding fathers. As I’m sure you can well imagine, heretofore, those descendants have been white.
The ACLU, in conjunction with a group of retired military leaders and veterans, launched a new ad campaign today targeting the Department of Defense’s ban on servicewomen using their insurance to pay for abortion services if they become pregnant as the result of rape or incest. The ads were released as part of a coalition effort, Stand With Servicewomen, designed to raise awareness of, and ultimately end, this unfair policy.
The Board of Directors and staff of the American Civil Liberties Union are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Marion Sandler. Marion was a pioneer in every way--a passionate force for freedom and justice. Her unique gift was the way she consistently put that considerable passion into action. Through her and her husband Herb's extraordinary philanthropy, she made a vital difference to the issues that she cared about--and that matter to Americans.
A quick explanation is in order. We're not talking about the prohibition in the Fifth Amendment against double jeopardy—being tried again for the same crime after being acquitted. Trust us, we're down with that. Have been. Always will be.
The version we're more enamored with can be seen five nights a week on the second round of Jeopardy, the venerable game show that featured the ACLU as a category on Friday.
Every day is a day to celebrate James Esseks, director of the ACLU's Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and AIDS Project. How could we not? He's wicked smart, strategic, organized and charming to boot.
But today there's even more reason to toot his horn. Last night, James was awarded the 2012 Community Vision Award from the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York. It is an award presented annually "to honor individuals or organizations with a distinguished record of service to the LGBT community, including a sustained commitment to achieving equal rights for all members of the LGBT community." It makes us proud to see James recognized for what he is; a true leader in the effort to achieve equal rights for the LGBT community.
