Racial Justice

The ACLU of Northern California’s Racial Justice Project uses a combination of legal and legislative advocacy, public education, and organizing strategies to advance the cause of civil rights for communities of color. Established in 1998, the Project has waged campaigns on a range of issues and engaged in both local and statewide advocacy efforts. The Racial Justice Project’s priorities are eliminating racial bias in the criminal justice system and achieving educational equity.

Suit Protecting Native American Students Advances
The ACLU-NC’s class action lawsuit on behalf of Native American middle schoolers in the small town of Klamath advanced in April when a federal judge rejected the school district’s motion to have the suit dismissed. The ACLU-NC brought suit against the school district after it closed the sixth to eighth grades at the only school in the district where a majority of students are Native American children. The closure has meant that these students must be bused for approximately three hours, round-trip, to another school.
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ACLU Protects Native American Children in Landmark School Settlement
On September 12, Bishop Union Elementary School District (BUESD) agreed to a groundbreaking settlement that will protect Native American children from racial discrimination and harsh disciplinary treatment after nearly two years of negotiations between the school district, Native American parents, and the ACLU of Northern California.
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Supreme Court Strikes Down Integration Plans, But Affirms Use of Race-Conscious Measures to Achieve Diversity
We are pleased that a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld race conscious measures to achieve racial diversity in our nation’s public schools. It is a welcome affirmation of the state’s compelling interest in educational diversity. Today’s decision keeps alive the legacy of Brown v. Board of Education that is part of our core American value of equal educational opportunity for all.
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Supreme Court: Passengers, Too, Can Contest Unlawful Traffic Stops
Passengers in vehicles pulled over by the police have just as much right as drivers to challenge the legality of the traffic stop and its consequences, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 18.
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Every Vote Counts: ACLU-NC Campaign Seeks to End Felony Disenfranchisement
Felon disenfranchisement laws remain the most significant means of preventing people of color from having a voice in the political process. Though nearly every state disenfranchises people convicted of a felony offense, there is no uniformity to disenfranchisement provisions nationwide. This patchwork of laws across the country has led to confusion over who can and cannot vote.
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Educational Equity Key to Ending "School to Prison Pipeline"
In many cities, students of color are disproportionately disciplined at school. English learner students and families are particularly vulnerable in this context due to language barriers and inadequate translation. School discipline has serious consequences for a child’s future life opportunities, and can increase the likelihood that a child will end up in the criminal justice system instead of college.
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