At Liberty is a weekly podcast that explores the most pressing civil rights and civil liberties questions of our time. Catch new episodes on Thursday at 9am ET.
episodes
April 11, 2024
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking
From the ACLU, this is At Liberty. I'm Kendall Ciesemier, your host. A month ago, we visited one of our favorite spots, the library. You know, at the ACLU, we love a good library. So much so that we even spent a recent Saturday night at the Brooklyn Public Library,...
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking April 11, 2024
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical Thinking
Live from Brooklyn Public Library: The Power of Poetry and Magical ThinkingFrom the ACLU, this is At Liberty. I'm Kendall Ciesemier, your host. A month ago, we visited one of our favorite spots, the library. You know, at the ACLU, we love a good library. So...
March 14, 2024
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle
The “American dream” has long been regarded as the pinnacle of success, rewarded to all who display hard work and pick themselves up by their bootstraps when life knocks them down. This might be our culture’s prevailing narrative, but it actually rarely bears out this way. The truth is that...
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle March 14, 2024
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty Cycle
This Economic Policy Could Break the Poverty CycleThe “American dream” has long been regarded as the pinnacle of success, rewarded to all who display hard work and pick themselves up by their bootstraps when life knocks them down. This might be our...
February 22, 2024
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina
On August 10th, 2009, the North Carolina legislature passed the Racial Justice Act, or RJA. A first of its kind law that allows people on death row to challenge their sentences if they could show race played a factor at the time of their trial. This historic legislation allowed us...
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina February 22, 2024
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North Carolina
This Case Could Upend the Death Penalty In North CarolinaOn August 10th, 2009, the North Carolina legislature passed the Racial Justice Act, or RJA. A first of its kind law that allows people on death row to challenge their sentences if they could show...
February 15, 2024
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps
Since 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been integral to protecting people of color at the polls. But in recent decades, the strength of the VRA has been diminished by decisions like Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, and the subsequent influx of voter restrictions imposed by states. Despite...
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps February 15, 2024
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District Maps
3 States, 3 Plaintiffs, and the Fight for Fair District MapsSince 1965, the Voting Rights Act (VRA) has been integral to protecting people of color at the polls. But in recent decades, the strength of the VRA has been diminished by decisions like Shelby County...
February 8, 2024
How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine
Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) has become a staple in national vocabulary after the so-called “racial reckoning” of...
How to Dismantle the Anti-DEI Machine Free speech on campus, book bans, education gag orders, the overturn of affirmative action, the resignation of former Harvard president Claudine Gay. All of these issues center on one hot-button topic: DEI. Diversity, Equity, and...
February 1, 2024
Rap Is Art Not Evidence
As the gang conspiracy trial of rapper Young Thug and his famed rap collective, YSL, extends past 20 days in Atlanta, we’re bringing you a conversation about the use of rap lyrics in court. Despite a groundswell of activism and legal opposition against the legal admissibility of Young Thug’s lyrics,...
Rap Is Art Not Evidence As the gang conspiracy trial of rapper Young Thug and his famed rap collective, YSL, extends past 20 days in Atlanta, we’re bringing you a conversation about the use of rap lyrics in court. Despite...
October 12, 2023
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination
This May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 264, a law that restricts Chinese nationals from acquiring property in the state of Florida under the guise of protecting national security. But the issue is actually pretty clear — Chinese people are not the Chinese government, and conflating the two is just...
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination October 12, 2023
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing Discrimination
We're Suing Florida for Anti-Asian Housing DiscriminationThis May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 264, a law that restricts Chinese nationals from acquiring property in the state of Florida under the guise of protecting national security. But the issue is actually pretty...
September 28, 2023
Kids Sued Montana Over Climate Change—Here’s How They Won
Last month, a district court judge in Montana ruled in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs in a landmark climate lawsuit. In Held v. Montana, young Montanans ranging from ages 5 to 22 sued the state, arguing that lawmakers have consciously prioritized the development of fossil fuels over the well-being of...
Kids Sued Montana Over Climate Change—Here’s How They Won September 28, 2023
Kids Sued Montana Over Climate Change—Here’s How They Won
Kids Sued Montana Over Climate Change—Here’s How They WonLast month, a district court judge in Montana ruled in favor of 16 youth plaintiffs in a landmark climate lawsuit. In Held v. Montana, young Montanans ranging from ages 5 to 22 sued the state,...
September 21, 2023
American Poverty Is Our Problem To Fix
“The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why?” That’s the question that underscores Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond’s new book, “Poverty, by America.” America is a country that purports equality as one of its highest values. Economic opportunity and the long...
American Poverty Is Our Problem To Fix “The United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. Why?” That’s the question that underscores Pulitzer Prize-winning sociologist Matthew Desmond’s new book, “Poverty, by America.” America is a...
September 14, 2023
This Student Fought a School Fine for Four Years
We’re continuing to feature major stories impacting students as the back-to-school season is underway. Today, we confront one troubling question: Why are students being fined by police in schools? Across the nation, students are being disciplined through tickets with shocking frequency, burdening them with hefty fines and subjecting them to...
This Student Fought a School Fine for Four Years September 14, 2023
This Student Fought a School Fine for Four Years
This Student Fought a School Fine for Four YearsWe’re continuing to feature major stories impacting students as the back-to-school season is underway. Today, we confront one troubling question: Why are students being fined by police in schools? Across the nation, students are being...