American Civil Liberties Union

The Racial Justice Program aims to preserve and extend the constitutional rights of people of color. Committed to combating racism in all its forms, our advocacy includes litigation, community organizing and training, legislative initiatives, and public education. >> More about the Racial Justice Program.


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Racial Justice : General : Press Releases

ACLU of Virginia Asks Charlottesville Police to Halt DNA Collection from African-American Males (04/12/2004)
RICHMOND, VA -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia today sent a letter to Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy J. Longo, Jr. asking him to halt the detention of African American men ""practically at random"" in order to collect saliva samples for DNA testing as part of a police investigation.

ACLU Announces First Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellows (03/25/2004)
NEW YORK--The American Civil Liberties Union today announced the six inaugural recipients of the Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellowship. Designed to address enduring racial inequalities, including social and economic inequalities caused by historical and current discrimination, the Fellows Program provides support for individuals whose work will advance the ACLU's longstanding commitment to racial justice.

On Eve of Holiday Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., ACLU Chief Reflects on Challenges Ahead (01/19/2004)
NEW YORK -- Even though civil rights giant Dr. Martin Luther King has been gone for close to four decades, his vision and his legacy remain as vibrant and as important as during his lifetime. We at the American Civil Liberties Union work every day to live up to the promise of his work and his philosophy.

California Voters Overwhelmingly Reject Ward Connerly's Ban on Race Data Collection (10/15/2003)
SAN FRANCISCO - The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California today hailed the news that California voters overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 54--Ward Connerly's latest race initiative by a margin of 64 percent to 36 percent. The constitutional amendment, if passed, would have banned most agencies from collecting data on race, ethnicity and national origin, with disastrous consequences for health, education public safety and civil rights.

Latest ACLU Report Highlights Potential for New Era of Discrimination; Urges African Americans to Fight Ashcroft Terrorism Laws (09/24/2003)
WASHINGTON - Saying that the FBI's harassment of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other prominent civil rights leaders was premised on arguments similar to those used to justify measures like the USA PATRIOT Act, the American Civil Liberties Union today released a new report urging African Americans to get more involved in the ongoing fight to keep America safe and free.

ACLU and Civil Rights Groups Find "Cause For Alarm" in Rhode Island Governor's Civil Rights Record (08/12/2003)
PROVIDENCE, RI -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island and more than 20 civil rights and community organizations joined today in the release of a report sharply critical of Governor Donald Carcieri's civil rights record during his first six months in office.

Elks Club with History of Discrimination is No Place for a County-Sponsored Banquet, Says ACLU of Maryland and NAACP (05/19/2003)
BALTIMORE-Citing a local Elks Club's century-long record of discrimination against African Americans, the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People today urged the Anne Arundel County Fire Department not to hold a county-sponsored banquet at the facility this Thursday.

ACLU Announces Racial Justice Fellowship Program Named for Ira Glasser, Longtime Executive Director (04/08/2003)
NEW YORK- Responding to the social and economic inequalities that persist around the nation in communities of color, the American Civil Liberties Union today announced the launch of the Ira Glasser Racial Justice Fellows Program to further develop, strengthen and increase programmatic work on racial justice issues.

ACLU of IL Asks Court to Maintain Desegregation Agreement for Chicago Public Schools (03/21/2003)
CHICAGO--Saying that it is crucial to keep in place a voluntary agreement designed to combat historic racial segregation in Chicago's public schools, the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois and a coalition of civil rights groups today filed a friend-of-the-court brief in federal court asking that the agreement remain in place.

ACLU of PA Files Discrimination Lawsuit Over Denial of Zoning Permit for African American Baptist Church (10/28/2002)
PITTSBURGH - Acting on behalf of a local congregation, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit charging illegal race and religious discrimination in town officials' refusal to issue a zoning permit to a predominantly African-American church.

Federal Judge in CA Rebuffs United Airline's Plea To Dismiss ACLU Discrimination Case (10/11/2002)
LOS ANGELES - A federal district judge today denied a motion to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit charging that United Airlines discriminated against a passenger.

ACLU Sues AMC Theaters for Ejecting Afghan American College Students from a Movie Theater (08/29/2002)
LOS ANGELES -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the law firm of Ross, Dixon & Bell today filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on behalf of two American college students of Afghan descent who were ejected from an AMC movie theater in an Orange County mall for ""speaking in a foreign tongue"" and looking ""suspicious.""

Racist Owners of Swim Club Barred "Black" and "Brown-Skinned" Visitors, ACLU of NJ Charges (08/22/2002)
NEWARK, NJ-Owners of a swim club in suburban Nutley violated state discrimination laws when they turned away "black" and "brown-skinned" customers and guests, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey charged today in a lawsuit filed on behalf of a group of parents and their children.

ACLU Urges Congress to Ensure Full Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws (05/21/2002)
WASHINGTON - Concerned with reports that the Department of Justice may be failing to fully enforce U.S. civil rights laws, the American Civil Liberties Union today urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to use its oversight function to ensure that the Department fully comply with its responsibility to protect Americans from discrimination. 

Doctors, Educators, Civil Rights Leaders Across CA Vow to Defeat Dangerous "Race Information Ban" (04/23/2002)
SAN FRANCISCO-- Public health, education, environmental and civil rights organizations across California today pledged to fight Ward Connerly's "race information ban," an initiative that will prohibit the collection, analysis or use of information pertaining to race or ethnicity by state and local governments in California. 

ACLU of Southern California Launches Latina Rights Project (03/08/2002)
LOS ANGELES -- Using International Women's Day as a symbolic backdrop, the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California today announced the launch of its Latina Rights Project as a response to shifting demographics and the dearth in the amount of legal supports available to minority communities. 

Saving Lives and Liberties (10/15/1999)
WASHINGTON-The American Civil Liberties Union supports efforts that are both designed to preserve civil liberties and to save lives. The ACLU commends the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and other organizations on their efforts to get the message out to communities of color "to buckle up."

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