Ten years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered one of the most devastating blows to voting rights in our lifetime: Shelby County v. Holder. The ruling struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA), which had successfully protected …
Earlier this year, Merissa Wilson stood before the school board of the Pearl Public School District in Mississippi to make a small but crucial request: that the board permit her daughter, Zuri, to wear an eagle feather on her graduation cap and be wrapped …
On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court issued its infamous opinion overturning the nearly 50-year-old landmark case of Roe v. Wade, which established a federal constitutional right to abortion. The court’s shameful decision triggered a cascade of abortion …
We celebrate Pride this year in defiance of the almost 500 anti-LGBTQ bills pending or passed in state legislatures around the country. Unsurprisingly, these attacks are turning to the criminal legal system to enforce homophobia and transphobia: Bills that …
Our cell phones and other digital devices play a central role in our private lives, storing an unprecedented amount of our most personal information. While Carpenter v. United States, which the ACLU argued before the Supreme Court, applied Fourth Amendment …
Last week, the Department of Justice issued a report finding that the Minneapolis Police Department routinely used excessive force against Black and Indigenous people, and that George Floyd’s murder arose from this pattern of misconduct. They will now …
Once dismissed by many as impractical, the quest for reparations for the descendants of African people enslaved in the United States is now being embraced as a legitimate concept to be taken seriously. The remedy is not only being sought to address harms …
The Supreme Court issued a landmark victory for tribal sovereignty by rejecting all the constitutional challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in Brackeen v. Haaland, requiring state courts to make active efforts to protect Native children and …
Over the last few years, states across the country have advanced a record number of bills attacking LGBTQ rights and targeting transgender youth in particular. In addition to restricting access to gender-affirming care, state lawmakers and school boards …
Should companies be able to patent human genes? For decades, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office said yes, ultimately granting patents on thousands of genes. Two of the genes that were patented are BRCA1 and BRCA2. The patent office approved exclusive …
In 2015, following a DUI arrest, Ian Mitcham consented to having a blood sample collected to test for blood-alcohol concentration. He was advised his sample would be destroyed after 90 days. Instead, law enforcement held onto it for three years. Then, …
The internet is full of strong, impassioned, sometimes offensive language. In response to an activist’s post about being choked by a sheriff’s deputy, someone posted to Facebook, “Wow, brother they wanna hit our general. It’s time to strike back. Let’s …
The United States’ border region has always borne the brunt of our most aggressive immigration enforcement efforts, including dangerous high-speed vehicle pursuits by Border Patrol agents that far too often end in serious injuries and deaths. After years …
In 2022, Alabama lawmakers passed anti-trans legislation that criminalized gender-affirming care and banned K-12 students from using restrooms consistent with their gender identity. LGBTQ+ organizers from across the state rallied for many years against …
For much of the last century, the “American dream” has centered on homeownership by married, white families. Alongside explicitly racist policies like racial segregation enforced by redlining, banks and realtors routinely rejected applications for mortgage …
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for immigrants seeking to build a future in the United States. Established in 1990, the program aims to “diversify” immigration to the U.S. by providing opportunities for people …
Access to housing is a right that should be equally accessible to everyone in the country — but this is sadly far from reality. Although federal protections have been established to eliminate bias-driven hurdles, many practices still exist today that make …
The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) was enacted in 2008 to protect Americans from being widely discriminated against by a then new technology: genetic testing. The law was written after genetic discrimination emerged in the 1970s. At the …
Last week marks the 30th anniversary of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a landmark piece of legislation that has expanded access to the ballot for millions of Americans. Signed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, the voting rights law …
Empish Thomas is a 51-year-old voter from DeKalb County, Georgia who is blind and needs help filling out and mailing in an absentee ballot. In 2020, she was able to get that help from a sighted friend she trusted. But after the state of Georgia passed a …
