News & Commentary

Jun 11, 2021

Racist Rhetoric in Maryland’s Capital

Freedom of speech is one of the most important of our State and federal constitutional rights, which is why the ACLU of Maryland is dedicated to protecting this freedom for all Marylanders.

By Neydin Milián

Maryland State House in Annapolis has a bitmap treatment over it with red and dark navy angled lines.
Apr 16, 2021

George Floyd and Anton Black: Parallel Lives

By Rene’ C. Swafford, Esq., counsel for the Black family

Color drawing of Anton Black
Apr 08, 2021

What Happened in Atlanta is Not An Isolated Event

We have seen a rise in racist attacks against Asian Americans since the COVID-19 pandemic hit and recently we saw a horrible and heartbreaking reminder of our country’s history of racial discrimination and violence against Asian Americans.

A person is standing at a rally in Columbia, Maryland, in a yellow hooded jacket, holding a yellow and black umbrella. The person is holidng a sign behind their back that says "Stop AAPI Hate". There are many other people in the picture with umbrellas.
Dec 18, 2020

Celebrating Civil Liberties Moments During These Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is in full swing! But as you know, advocating for civil rights is a year-long job. Not only do we want to celebrate the many cultural and religious holidays that occur worldwide during these winter months, but we also want to celebrate some civil liberties moments that occurred during past holiday seasons. We like to think of these civil liberties victories as gifts and these civil rights fights as moments in time that inspire celebration and reflection.

Image shows a snow gloge with ACLU of Maryland staff shown in a grid in a Zoom meeting. The bottom says Happy Holidays on a navy blue background slightly angled. The background of the image is a dark fuschia with sparkles.
Dec 09, 2020

“Free the Vote” Documentary Blog Series Part 5: The Voices Leading the Fight

People Who Were Imprisoned Are Leading the Fight to Free the Vote

Free the Vote. Nicole Hanson Mundell, Monica Cooper, Earl Young, and Qiana Johnson are standing together behind posters from the Civil Rights Movement calling for voting rights now. The poster has a pink and brown theme.
Dec 09, 2020

“Free the Vote” Documentary Blog Series Part 4: Voting is a Human Right

The Vote Cannot Be Chained Down

Protest with a Black person in the center with their fist raised. The signs say "no more drug war" and "Black Lives Matter" and "resist".
Dec 09, 2020

“Free the Vote” Documentary Blog Series Part 3: Voting and Incarceration

Connecting Voting to Incarceration is Dangerous and Racist

Parchman Prison labor done by people who are incarcerated in 1911.
Dec 09, 2020

“Free the Vote” Documentary Blog Series Part 2: The Present

The Fight to Free the Vote is Still Not Over

Black marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge holding a banner that says "From the back of the bus ot the front of the prison, the struggle continues."
Dec 09, 2020

“Free the Vote” Documentary Blog Series Part 1: History up until the 1900s

300 Years Earlier: How Does the Legacy of Prisons and Policing Impact Black People’s Vote?

First Black Senators and Representatives in the United States