News & Commentary

To kick off #LatinxHeritageMonth, ACLU of Maryland staff members shared what makes them proud of their Latinx heritage.

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.

Highlighting Ying Matties whose efforts helped bring an end to Howard County’s ICE Contract

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.

By Dana Vickers Shelley, Executive Director, ACLU of Maryland; and Gustavo Torres, Executive Director, CASA

Often for Cultural Heritage Months, we try to highlight people whose experiences and identities shaped them into the activists they are today. Kristen is one of those phenomenal activists who does amazing work on the ground to push to reimagine policing and dismantle white supremacist structures.

Sara Medrano, a Latina grandmother and Frederick County resident, was driving her daughter and two grandchildren to pick up laundry detergent on her way to work when a Frederick County sheriff’s deputy pulled her over, purportedly for a “broken” taillight — that was working just fine — and detained her. In Medrano’s words: “I was so scared thinking that this stop would be the last moment I would have with my grandchildren and my daughter.”

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.

This Year Hasn't Been a Complete Disaster.