The 2000s
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2000
ACLU of Northern California Rallies and Produces Report on the Dangers of "Driving While Black or Brown"
In the early 2000s, ACLU of Northern California attorney Michelle Alexander spearheaded a campaign against racial profiling. In this photo, Alexander is speaking at a "Driving While Black or Brown" rally on the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, California, on April 27, 2000. As part of the campaign, ACLU NorCal put up billboards and distributed postcards with a hotline number to report racial profiling throughout Northern California. The topic was expanded in ACLU NorCal's January 2002 report that Alexander authored called “Driving While Black or Brown: The California DWB Report.” As a result of these efforts, the California Highway Patrol adopted reforms to end the practice of racial profiling.
Defending Freedom of Religion
In this photo, supporters watch as Paul Worthington, commander of the local American Legion post, hangs a copy of the Ten Commandments in the McCreary County courthouse in Whitley City, Kentucky. The ACLU went on to sue three Kentucky counties in McCreary County v. ACLU of KY for displaying framed copies of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and public schools, arguing that the displays violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.
2001
ACLU Staffer's High School Letter Showcases Significance of ACLU's Know Your Rights Work
As a high schooler in Nebraska in 2001, Tyler Richard and his fellow students pushed back against the principal’s decision to keep students from participating in The Day of Silence Project to raise awareness about the bullying, harassment, and silencing of LGBTQ+ youth in schools. Richard now works at the ACLU supporting affiliates nationwide in their strategic communications.
2002
Ashcroft v. ACLU Legal Team
The legal team from Ashcroft v. ACLU pauses for a photo in front of the Supreme Court after oral arguments in the case. The ACLU argued that the Child Online Protection Act was unconstitutional because it deprived adults of protected speech on the Internet. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which eventually ruled the law was unconstitutional.
2002 Fourth of July: "Life, Liberty, & U"
The ACLU ran this full-page ad in Newsweek's July 8, 2002 edition to celebrate the people’s role in protecting and expanding our rights and liberties for the Fourth of July.
ACLU and Advocates for Youth Tell Sex Educators: Honesty is Still the Best Policy
The ACLU partnered with Advocates for Youth to raise awareness about increased government spending for inaccurate and harmful abstinence-only sex education programs.
ACLU of Northern California Rallies and Produces Report on the Dangers of "Driving While Black or Brown"
In the early 2000s, ACLU of Northern California attorney Michelle Alexander spearheaded a campaign against racial profiling. As part of the campaign, ACLU NorCal put up billboards and distributed postcards with a hotline number to report racial profiling throughout Northern California. The topic was expanded in ACLU NorCal's January 2002 report that Alexander authored: “Driving While Black or Brown: The California DWB Report.” As a result of these efforts, the California Highway Patrol adopted reforms to end the practice of racial profiling.
ACLU of Colorado's "Spy Files" Press Release
Pictured here is the press release announcing a March 2002 news conference wherein the ACLU of Colorado released documents that revealed the existence of the Denver Police Department's "Spy Files." The documents showed that Denver police were monitoring and recording the peaceful protest activities of Denver-area residents and keeping files on the expressive activities of law-abiding advocacy organizations — in many cases falsely labeling them as "criminal extremists." Later that month, the ACLU filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of three organizations and three individuals who were the subjects of "Spy Files." The lawsuit revealed that multiple law enforcement agencies in Colorado, including the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, were also compiling files on peaceful protest activity. After extensive discovery, Denver agreed to a settlement that restricted political spying and provided multiple additional changes in policies and practices.
2003
ACLU Pin to Vote for Civil Liberties
This pin was worn by ACLU activists who attended events during the 2000 primaries to speak with candidates and get them on record supporting key policies to protect and expand civil rights and liberties.
The ACLU's Research and Numbers Behind the Patriot Act
Passed 45 days after 9/11, the Patriot Act made it easier for the government to spy on ordinary Americans by expanding the authority to monitor phone and email communications, collect financial records, and track Internet activity, turning regular citizens into suspects. This 2003 report examined how Americans viewed the law’s impact on their civil liberties.
2004
ACLU Joins Forces with Artists for Freedom
In 2004, the ACLU hosted the Freedom Concert at Lincoln Center. Produced by composer Philip Glass, the evening featured an eclectic range of music and spoken word performances by Mos Def, Robin Williams, Paul Simon, Richard Gere, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake Gyllenhaal, Richard Belzer, Wyclef Jean, Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Lila Downs, Jessica Lange, Philip Glass, Tony Kushner, Sarah Jones, Nanci Griffith, Edie Brickell, and The Black Keys.
ACLU's Freedom Concert to Fight Banned Books
This poster, created to promote the ACLU's 2004 Freedom Concert, features books that have been frequently banned in the United States.
Robin Williams Among Artists at ACLU Freedom Concert Call To End Banned Books
Robin Williams performs during the ACLU Freedom Concert on Monday, October 4, 2004, at Lincoln Center in New York. The concert, featuring various artists from the performing arts, was held to draw attention to book bans in different parts of the United States.
Supreme Court Justice and Founder of ACLU's Women's Rights Project: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, left, holds the microphone for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, right, at the ACLU 2003 Inaugural Membership Conference on June 12, 2003, in Washington. June 2003 marked 10 years since Ginsburg was named to the Supreme Court by former President Bill Clinton.
2005
"Another Woman For Choice"
Through litigation, advocacy, and public education, the ACLU's Reproductive Freedom Project, highlighted in this poster, strives to ensure that every person who needs abortion care is able to access the care they need, free from government interference.
ACLU Sticker Calls On Public to "Get Busy Get Equal"
This sticker was created by the ACLU to promote our online toolkit, which was designed to empower activists to organize effectively in an effort to advocate for nondiscrimination laws and policies; and support same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships.
ACLU on the Big Screen: "Freedom Files"
These are DVDs from Season 1 of “The Freedom Files,” a 10-part television series on Court TV launched in 2005, featuring real ACLU clients and the attorneys who represent them, as well as well-known activists, actors, and comedians Lewis Black, Margaret Cho, Richard Belzer, Harry Shearer, Judy Gold, and Noah Wyle.
ACLU on the Big Screen: "Freedom Files"
This show bible was created for Season 1 of “The Freedom Files,” a 10-part television series on Court TV launched in 2005, featuring real ACLU clients and the attorneys who represent them, as well as well-known activists, actors, and comedians Lewis Black, Margaret Cho, Richard Belzer, Harry Shearer, Judy Gold, and Noah Wyle.
The Raw Footage of ACLU's "Freedom Files"
These are the original raw footage cassettes of “The Freedom Files,” a 10-part television series on Court TV launched in 2005, featuring real ACLU clients and the attorneys who represent them, as well as well-known activists, actors, and comedians Lewis Black, Margaret Cho, Richard Belzer, Harry Shearer, Judy Gold, and Noah Wyle.
Audio Clip of ACLU Attorney David Friedman Successfully Arguing First Amendment Case at Supreme Court
In McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky, the ACLU sued three Kentucky counties for displaying framed copies of the Ten Commandments in courthouses and public schools, arguing that the displays violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. In 2005, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ACLU’s position. Listen to a clip of ACLU attorney David Friedman successfully arguing this case in front of the Supreme Court.
ACLU of Colorado's Executive Director Speaks Out
In this 2005 photo, Mark Silverstein, former legal director of the ACLU of Colorado, speaks at a news conference, questioning the reason for the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force of targeting peaceful political activists. He questioned the Denver Police Department's involvement and suggested that they pull out of the joint task force. Scott Silbert, right, a labor consultant was named in one of these disclosed FBI files, also known as the "Spy Files." The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of three organizations and three individuals who were the subjects of "Spy Files," and, after extensive discovery, Denver agreed to a settlement that restricted political spying and provided multiple additional changes in policies and practice.
2006
Calls to Stop the Abuse of Power
This advertisement was created for the ACLU's 2006 Membership Conference.
ACLU Vintage Tee
This is a team jersey from the ACLU Washington Legislative Office kickball team, which competed in a Washington, D.C. summer kickball league.
2007
Watch the "Freedom Files" To See ACLU's Real Cases and Real Clients
This video short from “The Freedom Files,” the ACLU's television show on Court TV, provides a shocking glimpse into conditions at the Hutto Detention Facility, a Texas immigration detention center run by the Department of Homeland Security. Of the approximately 400 detainees there, many were children from refugee families seeking political asylum in the U.S. after escaping persecution in their countries of origin.
ACLU's Comic Book "Defenders of Freedom"
Released as a limited-edition comic book in print and in digital format, “Defenders of Freedom” featured two original stories: “Blue Collar,” written by Jimmy Palmiotti and inked by Rick Burchett, tells of a man targeted by a racist police officer; and “A Question of Obligation,” illustrated by Mark Badger and written by Matthew Manning, is about what happens when the government gets in the way of civil liberties. The book also featured a special introduction by ACLU Executive Director Anthony D. Romero, written and inked by Patty Scanlon, and a back cover by Pulitzer Prize winner Art Spiegelman.
2008
ACLU's 2008 Newsletter Highlights Fight for Justice at Guantánamo
This newsletter, produced for the ACLU's 2008 Membership Conference, documents our work fighting government detention policies at Guantánamo Bay, defending marriage equality in California, and protecting civil rights.
ACLU Button Reads "Get Busy Get Equal" on LGBT Equality
This button was created by the ACLU to promote our online toolkit, which was designed to empower activists to organize effectively in an effort to advocate for nondiscrimination laws and policies; and support same-sex marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships.
2009
ACLU D.C. Advertisement for Membership, Calendars, and More!
This 2009 advertisement from the ACLU of D.C. shows custom ties and calendars offered to members.
On the Steps of Protecting the Fourth Amendment
In the 2009 case, Safford Unified School District v. Redding, the Supreme Court ruled that a public school's strip-search of 13-year-old student Savana Redding for over-the-counter ibuprofen violated her Fourth Amendment rights. The Court found the search excessively intrusive, as there was no reasonable suspicion the pills were hidden in her underwear. Pictured are ACLU attorney Adam Wolf (left), ACLU client Savana Redding (center), and her mother April Redding (second from right), surrounded by the media during a statement outside the Supreme Court on April 21, 2009.
