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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

MLK and Race: The Ongoing Conversation

Published: 
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The ACLU of Washington’s offices are graced with moving and inspiring photos, including many of our past clients. Occupying pride of place in the ACLU conference room, however, is a vintage photo of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today, April 4, 2012, marks the 44th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination.
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Former Student Gains Major Settlement after Enduring Years of Harassment

News Release, Published: 
Thursday, January 26, 2012
A former student who endured severe and persistent harassment throughout junior high and high school has gained a major settlement from the Aberdeen School District. The ACLU has represented Russell Dickerson III in a lawsuit saying that school district officials were aware of the harassment but failed to take steps reasonably calculated to end it.
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Standing Up Against Injustice: We Honor the Courage of Gordon Hirabayashi

Published: 
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Gordon Hirabayashi was a senior at University of Washington when bombs fell at Pearl Harbor. Like 112,000 of his fellow Japanese Americans, he would be placed under curfew, ordered into internment, and finally jailed for defying those orders. Forty years later, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated his conviction. On Monday, Hirabayashi died at the age of 93. We here at the ACLU of Washington honor his memory.
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ACLU-WA Receives Award for Racial Justice Work

Published: 
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
On October 22, the Minority Executive Directors Coalition (MEDC) of King County presented the ACLU-WA its Founders Award for our work calling for a Department of Justice investigation of the Seattle Police Department and advocating for communities of color.
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Change Comes in Different Colors

Published: 
Thursday, June 30, 2011
President Obama’s term has had its share of disappointments for civil libertarians.But there is no denying that the Administration has moved diversity in the judiciary forward in the last two years.
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ACLU-WA Was a Voice for Children in Olympia

Published: 
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
ACLU-WA Legislative Director Shankar Narayan was one of a group of lobbyists recognized with a Voices for Children award at  the annual awards luncheon the Children’s Alliance on Tuesday.  The lobbyist group, known as the Racial Equity Team, was presented the award in recognition of their work to advance racial equality issues in the 2012 legislative session. 
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Redistricting Commission Urged to Create Majority-Minority District for State Legislature

News Release, Published: 
Monday, June 6, 2011
The ACLU of Washington and National Voting Rights Advocacy Initiative are urging the Washington Redistricting Commission to establish a majority-minority state legislative district in Yakima County.  In a letter submitted to the commission, the groups said the district is needed as a matter of democratic governance and in order to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
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Redistricting: The Lines on Those Maps Make a Difference

Published: 
Friday, June 3, 2011
  Do you remember all of the publicity about the 2010 census? The numbers have now been tallied, and they will have major impacts in Washington state and throughout the nation. One of the most important ways in which data from the census are used is in redistricting our nation’s political jurisdictions. In the last decade, Washington’s population increased by more than 14%. As a result, our federal congressional delegation will be increased from 9 to 10 members, giving Washington state an additional vote in the U.S. House of Representatives.  
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Yes, Race Still Matters in Our Criminal Justice System

Published: 
Friday, March 11, 2011
Several years ago, comedian Chris Rock created a “public service announcement” called “How Not to Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police.”  The message includes obvious directions like “obey the law” and as well as tongue-in-cheek suggestions like “if you have to give a friend a ride, get a white friend” and satire about police reactions. This piece is funny because it is based on a simple truth known throughout communities of color:  If you are a black or brown man, you don’t have to work very hard to attract the attention of the police.
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Community Members Want Real Solutions to Gang Violence

Published: 
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Eva’s son died from gang violence.  Every day she lives with an aching desire to hold him again.  But despite her grief, she opens her home to young people in her community, some of whom are at risk to be involved in gangs. A Yakima Valley resident, she wants to keep them off the streets and safe from the violence.   Eva is angry that her son is no longer with her, yet she wants more opportunities to help young people rather than sending them behind bars.
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