News & Commentary

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.

41 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 this year!

By Nehemiah Bester

Latest Press Release

Mar 27, 2026

Community Leaders, Elected Officials, and Civil Rights Organizations Challenge DHS’s Secret, Rushed Plan to Convert Hagerstown Warehouse into Mass Immigration Detention Center

Amicus brief warns of serious risks to water supply, public health, emergency services, and the fundamental dignity of those detained, with no meaningful notice or input from local residents
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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.

Jun 14, 2023

Timeline: The Case for Justice for Anton Black

It’s time for people and institutions to be held accountable for brutal police actions and for this systemic racism to change. Anton Black’s life mattered.

By

Timeline: The Case for Justice for Anton Black. Black and white photo of Anton Black smiling and looking to the right. Background is black.
Jun 14, 2023

Make an Impact: Celebrate Pride

5 Ways You Can Support Queer Liberation

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Pride. Celebrating Queer Liberation. The words are on top of the Progress Pride flag that has rainbow colors, white, pink, blue, brown, and black.
Jun 13, 2023

5 Years of Making “Good Trouble”

Dana Vickers Shelley celebrates and reflects on her fifth anniversary as Executive Director of the ACLU of Maryland.

By Dana Vickers Shelley

Dana Vickers Shelley is a Black woman with warm light brown skin, blond short hair, and is smiling at the camera. She is standing in front of a brick wall.
May 31, 2023

Charges alleging abuse of power show need to end 287(g) immigration program

When the U.S. Department of Justice announced the indictment of Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins recently, it didn’t come as a surprise to see that Jenkins was charged with crimes related to abuse of power.

By Nick Taichi Steiner

People hands shown holding a protest sign that says, "No Racismo, no 287g."
May 30, 2023

Explore the Richness of Korean Culture through my Favorite Recipes

My family history is deeply intertwined with the economic, political, and historical dynamics of both Korea and Hawaii in the early 1900s.

By Olivia Spaccasi

Olivia Spaccasi is standing with three family members. They are outside in Hawaii with trees, a house, and a blue sky behind them.
May 23, 2023

12 AAPI Advocates and Organizations You Need to Know

Highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander activists and organizations, from Maryland and nationwide, from history to current heroes.

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Collage of images of organizations and people who are featured in the "12 AAPI Advocates and Organizations You Need to Know" shoutout blog.
May 17, 2023

Fearless Black Residents on the Brink of History as They Challenge an All-White Town’s Racist Election System

Federal District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher ordered the Federalsburg town government to produce a new plan by May 23.

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Group of plaintiffs and advocates from Federalsburg, Maryland, and lawyers from the ACLU of Maryland stand outside of a court buidling. A reporter is holding a microphone up to plaintiff Roberta Butler.
Apr 25, 2023

Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Indians seeks eviction reprieve from Charles County land

For the past two weeks, Proctor and the Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Indians have been operating under the assumption they will be forced to leave their ancestral winter hunting grounds.

Display of history, photos, and pieces of pottery from a class the Cedarville Band of the Pisctaway Indians offered at their cultural center.
Mar 15, 2023

Commentary: The smell of marijuana and the stain of racism

As of July 1, 2023, marijuana will be legal in Maryland. There is no reason why the odor of a legal substance should continue to be used as a tool by law enforcement to stop and search people, especially when police have disproportionately stopped and searched Black and Brown people.

By Yanet Amanuel, Dana Vickers Shelley

Advocates are pressing for a bill that would remove marijuana odor as the basis for reasonable suspicion for a police investigation. Stock.adobe.com photo by Alixandria Chen.