News & Commentary

12 Latinx/e Changemakers from Maryland. Background is purple. The image has a silhouette of Maryland and has colorful flowers in the left bottom and upper right corners.

12 Latinx/e Changemakers from Maryland

This Latinx/e Heritage Month Hear About these Past and Present Changemakers

By Neydin Milián

Latest Event

Life After a Second Chance Series Premiere (February 8, 2025)

We believe in restorative justice. That’s why our staff and partners have been working diligently to pass the Second Look Act. And we made a short film to explain why.

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More from the Press

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Stay informed on civil rights issues. Discover our latest actions and updates in the Press Release section.

Jul 01, 2025

Free State Liberties - Winter 2025

Summer 2025 issue of Free State Liberties, the newsletter by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland and the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Maryland. Want to support our work and receive the newsletter in the mail? Become a member-donor today.

Press Conference in Wicomico County
Mar 26, 2025

39 Inspiring Women from Maryland History You Need to Know

More important and fascinating women are newly added to the latest edition of our Women’s History heroes celebration blog this year!

By Meredith Curtis Goode, Alicia Smith, Neydin Milián, Nehemiah Bester

Collage image with poictures of women highlighted in the blog: Pauline Tsui, Elisabeth Gilman, Gloria Richardson Dandridge, Fannie Birckhead, Harriet Tubman, Sharon Brackett, Rachel Carson, and Carmen Delgado Votaw.
Mar 15, 2025

Opinion: Marylanders deserve equal voting access before it’s too late

The Afro News published this OpEd on March 15, 2025.

By Nehemiah Bester

Nehemiah Bester MDVRA The Afro
Mar 15, 2025

Opinion: The Time is Now to Make Maryland a National Leader on State Voting Rights

The Baltimore Beat published this OpEd on March 13, 2025.

By Nehemiah Bester

Vote here shutterstock image
Mar 13, 2025

A Second Look at Extreme Sentences Saves Lives and Strengthens Communities

Time is running out. We cannot wait another year to pass the Maryland Second Look Act.

By Olivia Spaccasi

Group of Second Look advocates in the halls of Maryland Congress
Mar 12, 2025

Opinion: Maryland has the worst racial disparities in incarceration — The Second Look Act can help fix it

The Afro News published this OpEd on March 12, 2025.

By Yanet Amanuel

Yanet-Amanuel-The-Afro-Second-Look
Feb 26, 2025

50 Black Heroes From Maryland You Need To Know

Historic Figures Who Shaped Our Future

By Nehemiah Bester

A grid of five Black Marylander heroes
Nov 22, 2024

I See You = I Love You

Celebrate the 5th birthday of ACLU of Maryland’s Spanish Style Guide.

By Neydin Milián

Inclusivity calls for a slight bend of the rules in Spanish.
Nov 15, 2024

Hold On, a Change Is Gonna Come: 2024 Election Reflection

As a person on the margins of mainstream America, what I know to be true is who you vote for is a direct reflection of who you are.

By Alicia Smith

Collage of photos of the Lincoln Memorial and historic photos of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.