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Racial Justice

The authors of the Declaration of Independence outlined a bold vision for America: a nation in which all people would be free and equal. Yet the forced removal of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of those of African descent marked the beginnings of a system of racial injustice from which our country has yet to break free. Despite important gains made by civil rights activism, the school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, and racial profiling and bias in policing are but a few of the racist injustices that mark the distance between America’s reality and the dream we seek to achieve: liberty and justice for everybody.

Resources

News Release, Published: 
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
ACLU of Washington and the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) announce a settlement agreement in a lawsuit that challenged the Border Patrol’s practice of stopping vehicles and interrogating occupants in the Olympic Peninsula.
Published: 
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees every person the right to a fair trial.  However, if the prosecution is making racist remarks and presenting racially-charged evidence throughout the trial, this right is violated.
Published: 
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Last month, Seattle Metro buses were running a disturbing ad.  Funded by the U.S. State Department, the ad featured pictures of 16 men wanted around the globe for terrorist activities.  The pictures of the men, all appearing to be Muslim with turbans, beards, and brown skin, were right below the large, bold message “FACES OF GLOBAL TERRORISM.”
News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 10, 2013
Today, a group of leaders from Washington’s ethnic and racial communities, in collaboration with the ACLU of Washington, submitted comments addressing the state Liquor Control Board’s initial draft rules for Initiative 502.
News Release, Published: 
Friday, March 8, 2013
The Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA), HB 1413, today passed the Washington House of Representatives by a vote of  53-44. Sponsored by Representative Luis Moscoso and Senator Sharon Nelson, the bill is designed to ensure fair representation and accountability in local governments throughout the state.
News Release, Published: 
Friday, January 25, 2013
The Washington Voting Rights Act (WVRA) – HB 1413, a bill designed to ensure fair representation in local governments throughout the state, has been introduced in the 2013 Washington Legislature. Sponsored by Representative Luis Moscoso and Senator Sharon Nelson, the measure will have a hearing on Wednesday, January 30 at 1:30 pm in the House Government Operations and Elections Committee.
Published: 
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Recently, a group of community organizations released Facing Race, a report that assesses that the voting records of Washington state legislators in promoting racial equity. Notably, the report recognizes ending the death penalty is one change that our state representatives should make to advance the goal of racial justice in Washington.
Published: 
Friday, November 2, 2012
A recent report prepared by the Marijuana Arrest Research Project sheds light on the tremendous amount of resources Washington State has devoted to marijuana law enforcement over the last 25 years. There have been over 240,000 arrests for adult marijuana possession, consuming over $300 million in taxpayer money, since 1986. And people of color are the more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in Washington state. Disturbingly, racially disproportionate enforcement is getting worse. Using data from the Marijuana Arrest Research Project report, the ACLU of Washington has produced an infographic that visualizes this increasing disparity,
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
A federal judge issued an order denying the government’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit targeting unlawful U.S. Border Patrol actions in the Olympic Peninsula. The lawsuit seeks to end the Border Patrol’s practice of stopping vehicles and interrogating occupants without legal justification.
News Release, Published: 
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Vicci Martinez, Washington native and finalist on “The Voice,” was a featured speaker and singer at an ACLU-WA forum on voting rights held in Granger.  The forum came after the ACLU-WA filed a lawsuit seeking to change Yakima’s system for electing candidates to the City Council.  The suit charges that the current system unlawfully dilutes the Latino vote and effectively prevents Latinos from meaningful participation in City Council elections. 

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