News & Commentary
When Your Tap Water is Toxic
“On behalf of myself and my 17-year-old daughter that I’m raising and my mother, who recently passed away – we’ve been drinking contaminated water for some time now. I live on a fixed budget. I don’t make more than $600 a month, and I pay out about $80 a month to have to buy water. And that’s for cooking purposes also other than just drinking. In talking with my daughter, she says, “Dad – how can I be safe, how can I be healthy if I can’t even drink the water?”
Repeating Mistakes of the Past: Anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act
It's the 135th anniversary of the Chinese Exclusion Act, an immigration law that legitimized racism as policy.
#123TCP – The Toxic Chemical in California's Tap Water
No one should have to turn on their tap and wonder if the water is safe to drink. But thousands of homes across the state are connected to water sources contaminated with a cancer-causing chemical called 1,2,3-TCP.
Freedom Shouldn't Depend on Your Bank Account Balance
California incarcerates thousands of people while they await their court dates - simply because they can’t afford to post bail. Meanwhile, wealthy people can easily buy their freedom.
"My Voice Matters." When Their Principal Tried to Remove #BlackLivesMatter from the Yearbook, These Teens Spoke Up.
Students on yearbook staff wrote an article about Black Lives Matter. When their principal rejected it, they knew it was time to speak up for their rights. Students have a right to free speech and expression at school. This includes political speech, cultural expression, and speech that a school district may preemptively feel is controversial.
In California, We the People Can Protect Our Values and Each Other
While California already has many great laws in place, there's much work to do for civil rights and civil liberties – especially now as the Trump Administration begins its attack on the most vulnerable among us.
#ACLUTimeMachine - Five Years Gone: It’s Time to #TalkAboutTrayvon
Knowing Trayvon Martin's story, and the history of the struggle against racial profiling, helps us to free ourselves from the myths of racism.
VICTORY! Richmond, CA Passes New Affordable Housing Law for Formerly Incarcerated People
Finding affordable housing is tough. Finding affordable housing when you’re returning home after serving time is nearly impossible. Last night, the Richmond City Council passed a historic law to protect the rights of people who are re-entering society and find themselves excluded from housing opportunities because of their criminal record.
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