News & Commentary

Less than a year after the ACLU released a pressing report on the dangerous militarization of American police, law enforcement agencies in California—including school police—continue to use military-grade equipment against the communities they are supposed to protect.

The killing of Alex Nieto, and other black and brown males, such as Tamir Rice and Ezell Ford, seems all too familiar. But would Nieto and others of color still be alive if they were white?

In the heart of the Central Valley, there is a dream that refused to die. In 1908, Colonel Allen Allensworth had a vision for an 800-acre plot of land in the Central Valley: to build a thriving Black community rooted in cultivating the dignity of the human spirit while creating a haven from discrimination.

Recently, the ACLU of Southern California participated in an event in Kern County on AB 60, California’s new Safe and Responsible Driver Act. The act, which went into effect on Jan. 2, 2015, permits any eligible Californian to obtain a driver license, regardless of immigration status.

The excitement in the room over the AB 60 license and its importance to the community was palpable. The event, organized by the State Bar of California and hosted by Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez, was standing room only. Over 350 people were in attendance.

This is my family's American Dream story. I am a divorced, single mother, and an undocumented immigrant. I have resided in the United States for almost 30 years.

Many high school students have reported being denied the opportunity to take necessary college prep classes. And a disproportionate number of those were students who were either pregnant or parenting.

Public participation in decisions about whether to equip police with surveillance technology is often the exception rather than the rule in California and across the country. Oakland knows this all too well.

The technology that we use for everything from balancing our budget to finding a date is constantly evolving – but the laws that protect our electronic information are stuck in the digital dark ages.

In San Francisco, yet another example of police abuse came to light when Jami Tillotson was arrested outside a courtroom in the Hall of Justice while attempting to protect her clients’ right to counsel.