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Founded in 1920, the ACLU is a non-profit, non-partisan membership organization with affiliates in all 50 states dedicated to defending and expanding the civil liberties of all Americans.
The following community forums were hosted by the ACLU of Ohio, and are offered here as a public service for those interested in learning more about individual rights. Programs feature community leaders, scholars, and activists sharing their expertise and unique perspectives in specific areas of civil liberties.
To listen to our audio podcasts, click here.
08.17.10
Press Conference: Reform Cannot Wait - Columbus
On August 17, 2010, the ACLU of Ohio released a new report entitled “Reform Cannot Wait: A Comprehensive Examination of the Cost of Incarceration in Ohio from 1991-2010“. The report reveals that our criminal justice system is riddled with inefficient policies that increase cost, reduce safety, and contribute to racial disparities.
State Senator Bill Seitz (R-Cincinnati) and Senator Nina Turner (D-Cleveland) joined the ACLU of Ohio at a press conference announcing the release of the “Reform Cannot Wait” report.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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08.04.10
Black Power, Black Vote: An exploration of the Black Panther Party - Cleveland
Hear how student organizers from the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) helped to incorporate the fight for civil rights into the Black Power movement, changing the face of America for generations to come.
Join Hasan Kwame Jeffries, assistant professor of history at The Ohio State University and the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, will discuss the evolution of the civil rights movement and activism today.
This is the sixth in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
Prof. Jeffries’ new book, Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt, will be for sale at the event.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.31.10
Conference Plenary - Amy Goodman
Amy Goodman host of Democracy Now, on free speech, the first amendment, and the freedom of reporters to speak the truth.
This session was offered as part of ACTION! A Conference for Civil Libertarians held on July 30-31, 2010 at the Hyatt on Capitol Square in Columbus, OH. Conference information and highlights including session descriptions, speaker bios, and audio podcasts of each workshop may be found here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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Conference Plenary - Ethan Nadelmann
Ethan Nadelmann, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, talks about civil liberties and the war on drugs.
This session was offered as part of ACTION! A Conference for Civil Libertarians held on July 30-31, 2010 at the Hyatt on Capitol Square in Columbus, OH. Conference information and highlights including session descriptions, speaker bios, and audio podcasts of each workshop may be found here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.28.10
Immigration Myths: Separating fact from fiction - Cleveland
Frustrated state and local governments have begun passing anti-immigrant legislation that amounts to little more than racial profiling and violates due process rights.
Join Veronica Dahlberg, executive director of HOLA, a grassroots community-based Latino organization, for a conversation about the immigration challenges we are facing as a community and suggestions for effective reform.
This is the fifth in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.21.10
Profiling Islam: Faith under surveillance
What does a terrorist look like? Unfortunately, in post 9/11 America, many in government and the media portray “terrorist” and “Muslim” as interchangeable identities. As a result, Muslims are often targets of racial, ethnic and religious profiling.
Join Julia Shearson, executive director for the Cleveland chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Cleveland), for a discussion of religious profiling, national security, and religious freedom.
This is the fourth in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.15.10
Putting the “F” in Free Speech: Taboo Language and the First Amendment - Columbus
Join us for a lively discussion with Christopher Fairman, law professor at Moritz College of Law, on the First Amendment and controversial words. The importance of protecting words — even the four-letter ones — is at the heart of Fairman’s most recent work, Fuck: Word Taboo and Protecting our First Amendment Liberties. Fairman is adamant that our government should keep out of the censorship business. He writes, “Words are ideas. If the government can control the words we say, it can also control what we think.”
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.14.10
Overlooked: Accessibility, Inclusion and the Future of Equality for the Disabled - Cleveland
Twenty years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) people living with physical and mental disabilities continue to be shunned and segregated in schools, housing and employment.
Join Frank Hickman, principal of Hickman & Lowder Co., L.P.A., as he addresses the rights of persons with mental and physical disabilities.
This is the third in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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07.07.10
Homeless, Not Hopeless - Cleveland
Far too often municipalities enact unconstitutional ordinances that criminalize homeless people and restrict their access to public space.
Join us for a discussion of the homeless community’s fight for equality with Brian Davis, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless and advocate for the estimated 26,000 homeless in the Cleveland area.
This is the second in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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06.29.10
Playground to Prison: Juvenile Justice in Ohio - Columbus
Join us for a discussion with Yvonne C. Hunnicutt, director of operations of Voices for Ohio’s Children, as we explore the trends toward the criminalization of young people. Hunnicutt will discuss contemporary issues in juvenile justice reform, such as racial disparities in arrests and sentencing and current legislation that will help provide rehabilitation – rather than just incarceration – for our young people.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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06.24.10
The New Jim Crow - Cleveland
Join director the of Cleveland State University’s Black Studies Program, Dr. Michael Williams, ACLU of Ohio legal director James Hardiman, and ACLU of Ohio education director Shakyra Diaz in a program that will examine how the laws and policies of the last 30 years have resulted in extreme racial disparity in our justice system.
As the director of the Black Studies Program, Dr. Michael Williams is tasked with ensuring that the Cleveland State University community and the Greater Cleveland community with opportunities to acquire a greater knowledge and appreciation of the history, life and all aspects of the arts, culture and experiences of peoples of African descent through educational programming, Images radio show, and the Howard A. Mims Cultural Center.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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06.23.10
Life Sentence: Obstacles faced by formerly incarcerated people - Cleveland
Join Charles See, director of Community Re-Entry, Inc., for a look at the obstacles that prevent formerly incarcerated people from transitioning back to society.
This is the first in the 2010 Brown Bag Lecture Series. View the entire series here.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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05.20.10
Criminalizing Kids: The Need for Juvenile Justive Reform - Toledo
Ohio detains and incarcerates a greater percentage of our adolescent population than more than two-thirds of states. Join Toledo area civil libertarians for a look at the issues affecting Ohio’s youth and endeavors underway to change the system.
This presentation was part of the 2010 Northwest Chapter of the ACLU of Ohio Annual Dinner honoring Dr. Trudy Bond, psychologist and political activist, and features advocate and juvenile justice expert C. Antoinette Clarke, professor of law, Claude W. Pettit College of Law, Ohio Northern University.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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05.19.10
The Call for Freedom - Peace and the Struggle for Liberation - Dayton
Join us for a discussion about people’s movements for freedom – both historical and modern day – in three countries. Experts in their field will highlight a wide range of issues, including the struggles against the Apartheid regime in South Africa, the movement for human security in Brazil, and the push to create a more equitable justice system in the US.
Panelists include Pablo Banhos, whose thesis contrasts authoritarian and democratic regimes in Brazil; Shakyra Diaz, ACLU of Ohio education director; Dr. Joyce Dunbar, visiting scholar at Central State University.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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05.13.10
Juvenile Lockdown
Dennis Parker, National ACLU Racial Justice Program Director explores the national trends, the school to prison pipeline, profiling, and ‘tough on youth’ policies that criminalize young people.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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05.05.10
Civil Liberties in the Age of Obama - Lewis Center
Gary Daniels, associate director of the ACLU of Ohio, discusses President Obama’s policies on national security, LGBT rights, racial justice, and other civil liberties issues.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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04.30.10
Deadline Now: ACLU - Toni Clarke, Michael Steinberg (WGTE)
WGTE Host Jack Lessenberry learns about the latest cases and projects undertaken by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Ohio and Michigan. Guests are Ohio ACLU Board Member Toni Clarke and Michigan ACLU Legal Director Michael Steinberg. Thanks to WGTE for providing us with this interview.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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04.27.10
An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - Columbus
Panelists discuss current efforts for legislative reform that will reduce the costs of prisons while encouraging rehabilitation of offenders.
Panelists include Stephen JohnsonGrove, Ohio Justice and Policy Center staff attorney; Mark Godsey, faculty director of the University of Cincinnati College of Law Ohio Innocence Project; Gary Daniels, associate director of the ACLU of Ohio.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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04.22.10
Cost of Incarceration: Reforming Ohio’s Criminal Justice System
‘Tough on Crime’ policies have overburdened our state budget and resulted in unnecessary prison over-crowding. Ohio prisons are designed to house 38,665 people but are currently housing near 51,000.
Panelists for this discussion include Terry Collins, former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections; Shakyra Diaz, education director for the ACLU of Ohio, and Edward Little, criminal justice consultant.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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04.18.10
Order in the Court: Reforming Juvenile Justice
Join us for the North Central Chapter 2010 annual meeting featuring Christopher Mallet, juvenile justice advocate and professor, Cleveland State University.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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03.16.10
Transition Transparency: Unlock the Door to Reform
There is a lot of work to be done to transform Cuyahoga County’s government, and it cannot be done without the full participation of all residents. In order to keep the public informed, it is critical that the transition process is open and accessible. Activists must remain vigilant and make certain officials are held accountable for transparency.
Join Christine Link, ACLU of Ohio executive director, Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio staff attorney, and Mike Brickner, ACLU of Ohio communications director to learn what constitutes an open meeting, how to submit a records request, and what you can do to ensure open government during the reform process in Cuyahoga County.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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03.10.10
What Women (Really) Need
Do legislators address the concerns and needs of limited income women? Can there be a movement that advances women’s rights? Can priority issues for women become budgetary priorities for the state?
Join the ACLU of Ohio for an interactive discussion with panelists Gail Long, social worker and community activist; Alexandria Ruden, attorney, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cleveland; Jill Shankar, attorney, Cleveland ACLU Board Member; and Lisa Smith, M. Ed., associate director, Community Re-Entry, Inc.
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12.03.09
An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - Dayton
ACLU of Ohio Executive Director Christine Link discusses criminal justice reform at the Downtown Dayton Metro Library Auditorium.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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11.04.09
An End to Lock ‘Em Up Politics: Reforming the Criminal Justice System in Ohio - Cincinnati
For decades, Ohio politicians sought to be “tough on crime,” rather than smart on crime. They continually increased criminal penalties, regardless of their ineffectiveness at improving public safety or reducing recidivism. Because of these policies, prisons designed to house 38,000 people now hold over 52,000. Meanwhile, the resulting expenses strain state and county budgets – without making us safer.
Panelists David Singleton, Mark Godsey, and Gary Daniels discuss current efforts for legislative reform that will reduce the costs of prisons while encouraging rehabilitation of offenders.
This event, held that the Cincinnati Urban League, was co-sponsored by the ACLU of Ohio, the Ohio Innocence Project, and the Ohio Justice and Policy Center.
To play this video, click “Play in Popup” link below.
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10.30.09
The House That Liberty Built
Susan Herman, recently elected president of the national ACLU, addresses members at an open house hosted by the ACLU of Ohio at its headquarters in Cleveland. Herman discusses the the state of civil liberties during the Obama administration and shares her vision for the future of the ACLU.
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The State of LGBT Rights: Ohio, America, and the World
Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall College of Law hosts a half-day symposium exploring cutting-edge legal issues affecting the daily lives of LGBT individuals in Ohio, nationally, and around the world.
The symposium features lawyers and other activists who have advocated successfully on behalf of their LGBT clients and constituents to change the laws governing marriage and domestic partnerships, parental rights, and non-discrimination in employment, housing and related areas.
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Watch the video from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law here
View additional resources on LGBT issues.
This symposium is presented by Cleveland State University’s Cleveland Marshall College of Law, CSU’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, CSU’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Student Services, the ACLU of Ohio, and the CM allies.
Generous support also provided by the Northeast Ohio Chapter of the American Constitution Society and the CM Student Chapter, Cleveland State Law Review, Cleveland-Marshall Law Library, Black Students Law Association (BLSA), Women’s Law Students Association (WLSA), Student Bar Association (SBA), Democratic Law Organization (DLO), and Hispanic Law Students Association (HLSA).
10.18.09
Due Process for Sale?
The ACLU of Ohio kicks off the celebration of our 90th anniversary with the Ed Likover Memorial Lecture. In addition to our 90th anniversary, we also celebrate the 90th birthday of activist and civil libertarian Belle Likover.
James Sample, associate professor of law, Hofstra University School of Law, speaks on the increasing influence of corporate donations to judicial elections, often from key stakeholders before the courts.
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10.08.09
American Religion, American Freedom
Harry Hirsch, noted author and professor at Oberlin College, discusses the role of religion in modern American life and politics at the Harry Cagin Memorial Lecture, held at The Temple-Tifereth Israel.
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10.04.09
Civil Liberties in the Age of Obama
Chris Link, executive director of the ACLU, discusses President Obama’s policies on national security, LGBT rights, racial justice, and other civil liberties issues. Separating the rhetoric from the facts, Link highlights the strengths and weaknesses of President Obama’s positions on civil liberties.
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10.01.09
Banned Brilliance of African American Authors
A celebration of Banned Books Week, Banned Brilliance of African American Authors features Columbus-area community members reading passages from books removed from the shelves of schools and libraries throughout the U.S.
Participants include:
- Dr. Valerie Lee, professor and former chair of English at the Ohio State University (OSU), emcee
- Rev. Dr. Charles Booth, senior pastor at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, reading from the Autobiography of Malcom X, as told to Alex Haley
- Rep. Tracy Maxwell Heard, state representative of the 26th District, reading from Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
- Charity Martin-Via, president of Urban Spirit, reading fro Push, by Sapphire
- Dr. Viola Newton, senior lecturer of OSU Dept. of African American and African Studies, reading from A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines
- Council Member Charleta Tavares, member of Columbus City Council and executive director of Competence, reading from Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
- William Evans, poet, writer, and 2007 Columbus Black Pearl Grand Slam Champ, reading from Black Boy, by Richard Wright
This event was sponsored by the ACLU of Ohio and the Ohio State University Department of African American and African Studies Community Extension Center. In partnership with Columbus Branch of the NAACP, King Arts Complex, The Book Suite and Urban Spirit.
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08.20.09
News Briefing on Teens and Technology: What Parents, Teachers and Students Need to Know
Experts from the ACLU of Ohio host a news briefing on the current state of student rights in areas such as sexting, online speech, cell phone searches and other emerging civil liberties concerns. Speakers include Brian Laliberte, attorney, private practice, Colleen Cunningham, local educator, Carrie Davis, staff counsel, ACLU of Ohio, and Christine Link, executive director, ACLU of Ohio.
Learn more about youth rights with regards to technology.
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08.05.09
Let’s Talk about “SEXting!”
Toni Clarke, professor of law at Ohio Northern University, discusses the legal implications of “sexting,” where teens send nude photos of themselves via their mobile phones. She addresses the problematic nature of prosecuting teens for “sexting” and suggests alternatives, including education programs and outreach to youth. This event is the sixth in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
View “Tips to Prevent Sexting,” the accompanying handout provided by Ms. Clarke here.
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07.29.09
Prison Bound: A Review of the School to Prison Pipeline
Paul Hill, president and CEO of East End Neighborhood Center, discusses the policies and practices that funnel youth out of classrooms and into the juvenile and criminal justice systems. This event is the fifth in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
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07.22.09
False Confessions: A Juvenile Injustice
Geoffrey Mearns, dean of the Marshall College of Law, discusses his experience as co-counsel on the case of Anthony Harris, a twelve-year-old boy who was wrongfully convicted of murder based on a false confession. This event is the fourth in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
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07.15.09
Cyber Invaders: The Government’s Use of Technology to Invade Privacy
Raymond Ku, professor of law and co-director of the Center for Law, Technology and the Arts, Case Western Reserve University, discusses government use of new technologies to invade privacy - and legislative efforts to conceal, authorize, and immunize executive actions. This event is the third in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
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07.08.09
Missing the Mark: Reforming the Juvenile Justice System
Yvonne Hunnicutt, of Voices for Ohio’s Children, discusses the work of the Juvenile Justice Initiative to promote reform of the juvenile justice system through coordinating and mobilizing individuals and organizations. This event is the second in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
The PowerPoint presentation that was provided by Ms. Hunnicutt can be found here.
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06.24.09
Policing These Streets: Improving Community and Police Relations
Commander James Copeland, former police commander and current teacher at Shaw High School discusses the need for improved training to facilitate and encourage better community and police relations. This event is the first in the 2009 Brown Bag Lecture Series. More information about the 2009 series can be found here.
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05.15.09
Deadline Now: Mary Beth Tinker and Susan Carter
WGTE Public Media
Free Speech icon Mary Beth Tinker and ACLU of Ohio immediate past board president Susan Carter discuss civil liberties issues on Deadline Now, a public affairs program broadcast on WGTE Public Media in Toledo. Thanks to WGTE for permission to podcast this program.
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05.14.09
Stand Up. Speak Up.
Toledo area civil libertarians celebrate activism with free speech hero Mary Beth Tinker and LGBT advocate Brenda Spurlin..
04.16.09
LGBT Equality and the Law
Matt Coles, Director of the ACLU Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and AIDS Project since 1995, speaks on LGBT rights and the law. Coles wrote and helped lead the campaigns to pass many gay rights laws, including the first comprehensive law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in California, California’s law barring employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the nation’s first domestic partnership law. He was also one of the lead lawyers on Romer v. Evans, the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case that struck down Colorado’s Amendment 2, and on important cases on adoption, AIDS, and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”
Although a video podcast is not available, you can listen to the audio podcast from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law here.
03.19.09
Not in Front of the Children: Civil Liberties and Internet Censorship
Imagine not being able to read the latest on Salon.com, express yourself on websites like UrbanDictionary.com, or get information on sexual health.
In 2000, the ACLU challenged the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), a piece of legislation making it illegal to distribute content on the Internet acknowledged as protected speech for adults but deemed “harmful to minors” (including the above stated web content.) If implemented, it would have imposed harsh criminal sanctions, like huge fines and prison time.
In January 2009, the United States Supreme Court announced that it will not hear the government’s appeal of COPA, officially ending the ten year legal battle.
In this video, Chris Hansen, senior national staff counsel at the ACLU, shares his experience challenging COPA and other internet censorship efforts.
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Watch the video from Case Western Reserve University School of Law here
11.18.08
Election Dissection - Cleveland
A panel of local experts and activists have an open conversation about how our newly elected officials at the local, state, and national levels will affect civil liberties.
•Jason Johnson, political science professor, Hiram College
•Christine Link, executive director, ACLU of Ohio
•Lynn Tramonte, policy director, America’s Voice
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11.12.08
Election Dissection - Columbus
A panel of civic activists discuss the impact of the federal and state elections on civil liberties issues in a non-partisan setting.
•Mark Brown, Capital University constitutional law professor
•Amy White, philosophy professor and author of Virtually Obscene: The Case for an Uncensored Internet
•Weslee Pullen, Transitions program director for the Columbus Urban League
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10.21.08
Vote Smart: What is at Stake for This Presidential Election?
Carrie Davis, staff attorney for the ACLU of Ohio discusses issues regarding the change in presidential power with Dr. Sonja Siler, professor of Political Science at Cuyahoga Community College.
This webcast is presented to you courtesy of Cuyahoga Community College and Smart TV.
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10.12.08
Trials and Triumphs: The Supreme Court in the 21st Century
At the annual Ed Likover Memorial Lecture, Peter Irons (political activist, civil rights attorney, legal scholar, author of no less than 15 books, and professor emeritus of political science) discusses the challenges facing civil liberties in the courtroom and the future of the Supreme Court.
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10.01.08
What Women (Really) Want
Can the next president really make government more responsive to the concerns and needs of American women? Who speaks for us? Can there be a “Women’s Agenda” that advances women’s rights?
Panelists for this interactive discussion are:
•Amy Hanauer, founding executive director, Policy Matters Ohio
•Gail Long, community activist
•Dr. Rhonda Y. Williams, professor of history, Case Western Reserve University
•Mexie Wilson, hip hop activist
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09.25.08
Safe and Fair
At this town-hall meeting, Citizens for a Safe and Fair Cleveland discuss the impact of selective enforcement practices of drug crimes within the City of Cleveland and develop objective solutions.
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08.06.08
Selective Enforcement: A Justice System Out of Balance
Terry Gilbert, attorney at law, who has litigated numerous civil rights cases, shares perspectives on discretionary policies within the criminal justice system.
This event is part of the 2008 Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.30.08
Free Speech on the Net: Myspace and Facebook
C. Antoinette Clarke, professor of law, Ohio Northern University, discusses the parameters of free speech when using social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook.
This event is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.23.08
Defend Your Vote!
Meredith Bell-Platts, staff counsel with the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties, discusses voter rights and the Reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act.
This event is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.16.08
Expression, Not Suppression!
Dr. Chris Finan, author of From the Palmer Raids to the PATRIOT Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America.
This event is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.09.08
Privacy Please: Civil Liberties and HIV/AIDS
Earl Pike, executive director of the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland discusses discrimination, privacy violations, and mandatory testing experienced by people living with HIV/AIDS.
This event is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
The PowerPoint show is available for download here.
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06.25.08
Heroines of the Movement: African-American Women in Civil Rights History
Dr. Dorothy Salem, award-winning professor of Black history, profiles little known African-American women who were instrumental in the civil rights movement.
This event is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
The PowerPoint show is available for download here.
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05.21.08
President Bush, The Constitution, and the Rule of Law
Setting forth a multitude of original source documents, Professor Wilson R. Huhn presents an overview of the legal and constitutional objections to the Presidents assertion of extraordinary powers under the theory of the “unitary executive” in his conduct within the “war on terror.”
Professor Huhn’s presentation relies heavily on source material which may be viewed and printed here.
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05.15.08
Raneta Lawson Mack at The Northwest Annual Chapter Dinner
Raneta Lawson Mack, a nationally recognized privacy and technology expert, talks about some of the new developments with REAL ID.
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05.08.08
Two Generations of Youth Activists
Mary Beth Tinker, 1960s youth activist in Tinker v. Des Moines, and Jonathan Lykes, a current youth activist, join forces to discuss the importance of youth activism in today’s society.
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04.17.08
Free People Think Freely: Academic Freedom in Perilous Times
Listen to Steve Aby, professor at the University of Akron, former president of Akron-AAUP (the American Association of University Professors), and author of The Academic Bill of Rights Debate: A Handbook, for a discussion on academic freedom.
The freedom of inquiry by students and faculty is essential to many of the freedoms granted under the first amendment. When the free flow of ideas is stymied – when thought is controlled – we begin to lose control over all other aspects of our lives.
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04.14.08
Torture: A History of the Present
Jameel Jaffer, a litigator for the ACLU and Director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, talks about the litigation, the documents, and the Bush administration’s controversial torture policies.
Columbia University Press just published Jaffer’s co-authored book, Administration of Torture. He was named to the National Law Journal’s “40 under 40″ list in 2005. Jaffer is a graduate of Williams College, Cambridge University, and Harvard Law School.
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Watch the video from Case Western Reserve University School of Law here
03.25.08
From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act
Historian and activist Chris Finan shares a lively history of our most fundamental right – that of free speech. Chris is the president of American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), and author of From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America. He has been involved in the fight against censorship for 25 years.
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03.13.08
Stop the Abuse of Power!
National security expert Frank Kunstel helps us discover how we can restore the constitution and end unprecedented surveillance, unconscionable torture and unchecked government secrecy.
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02.21.08
Election Dissection
Former Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell, Rufus Sims, a prominent local criminal defense lawyer, and Wendy Leatherberry, Board President of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio discuss the implications of the presidential elections for the future of civil liberties in Ohio and across the United States.
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02.12.08
The Death Penalty: Fair & Just or Cruel & Unusual
A rousing, intelligent discussion about the death penalty as Jeff Gamso, ACLU of Ohio Legal Director, goes head-to-head with J. Christopher Anderson, Deputy Chief for the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Criminal Division.
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01.23.08
Abortion in a Hostile Environment
Freedom of Choice Cleveland Coalition commemorates the 35th Anniversary of Roe v Wade by discussing the current challenges, victories, and fresh perspectives regarding a woman’s right to choose.
Panelists include Louise Melling, Director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, Jaime Miracle, Outreach and Field Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, and an anonymous medical director of a local abortion provider.
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01.08.08
Gang Ties: The Untold Truths
A panel of experts discuss effective safety strategies to stem youth violence. They also discuss a a 2007 Justice Policy Institute Report titled Gang Wars.
Michael Ruff, E CITY’s new Director of Growth & Program Expansion, is determined to make E CITY a household word. Most recently he worked on behalf of Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Campus, speaking to Cleveland high school students about the importance and accessibility of a college education.
Judith Greene is a criminal justice policy analyst and a founding partner in Justice Strategies. She is currently a research consultant for the Brennan Center for Justice, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the Mississippi ACLU.
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12.13.07
Coming To America: Challenges Facing Immigrants In The U.S.
Marian Brumbaugh, a well known Cleveland area immigration attorney, discusses the current face of immigration and the problems encountered by immigrants as they attempt to forge a new life in America.
In recent months, the debate over immigration has become heated both nationally and locally. As a result, law enforcement and local officials have increased their attention on immigrants, in some cases adopting policies that encourage racial profiling. This has led many people in communities of color, not just immigrants, to fear interacting with or utilizing local institutions such as law enforcement, hospitals, schools and other social services.
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12.03.07
Black on the Block
Join hip-hop expert Bakari Kitwana and acclaimed sociologist and author Mary Patillo in a conversation about gentrification, “white flight,” community building, and conflict in the black community along class lines.
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11.08.07
Coming to America: Challenges Facing Immigrants in the U.S.
Theo Majka, professor of sociology at the University of Dayton and Mark Ensalaco, professor of political science and head of the Human Rights Program at the University of Dayton discuss the problems encountered by immigrants, as they attempt to forge a life in a new country.
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10.24.07
UnReal: What the New National ID Means for You
Chris Calabrese, project counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Technology and Liberty Program examines the impacts of Real ID on Ohioans.
Real ID requires all states to adopt a national identification system for driver’s licenses and requires that personal information of all Americans be stored in a massive database. The law provides no protections for the data and does not even require that the personal information be encrypted to protect it from identity thieves. Estimated costs of the program exceed $23 billion for just the first few years, with the state and federal government passing the cost on to taxpayers.
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10.21.07
Profiled for Prison: The Selective Enforcement of Drug Laws
At the Ed Likover Memorial Lecture this year, drug policy expert Ethan Nadelmann discusses the real effects of the war on drugs.
Ethan Nadelmann is the founder and executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, the leading organization in the United States promoting sensible alternatives to America’s ineffective and costly war on drugs. Nadelmann will address the racially discriminatory drug policies and selective enforcement tactics that have transformed the war on drugs into a war on minorities.
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10.11.07
Banned Books Week Celebration
Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Connie Schultz and ACLU of Ohio Development Director Jason Jaffery are special guests at the Shaker Heights Public Library’s celebration of Banned Books Week. Hear their powerful testimony about our freedom to read.
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10.10.07
Should You Worry About Real ID?
The Columbus Metropolitan Club presents “Should You Worry About Real ID?”
Advocates insist that Real ID is an essential tool to fight the war on terror, but critics say it is an overly intrusive measure that raises privacy concerns. Raneta Lawson Mack, professor of law at Creighton University, will explore the Real ID Act of 2005 and the effect that it will have on all Ohioans.
This webcast is presented to you courtesy of WVIZ/Ideastream and Ohio Government Telecommunications.
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10.02.07
Silenced Democracy
Investigative journalist and Case Western Reserve University Journalism Professor, Ted Gup, examines the culture of excessive secrecy that has challenged our nation’s ideals of democracy.
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09.20.07
UnReal: What the New National ID Means for You
Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio staff attorney, and nationally recognized expert on civil liberties issues, examines new regulations that will institute a national ID in only a few years. Carrie has been at the forefront of efforts to stop Real ID in Ohio since it was passed in 2005.
Real ID requires all states to adopt a national identification system for driver’s licenses and requires that personal information of all Americans be stored in a massive database while providing no protections for the data. Estimated costs of the program exceed $23 billion for just the first few years, with the state and federal government passing the cost on to taxpayers.
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09.18.07
Youth Leadership in the 1960’s Civil Rights Struggle
Noted historian Paul Cook discusses the pivotal role youth played in the 1960’s civil rights movement and how they changed their communities forever.
This event was cosponsored by the ACLU of Ohio and the Coretta Scott King Center
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08.30.07
Women’s Equality Day
Lorie Chaiten, director of the reproductive rights project for the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU of Illinois, discusses what the recent Supreme Court decision that restricted access to late-term abortions means for the future of reproductive freedom.
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08.08.07
The Two Faces of Racism: Attitudes Behind Closed Doors
Dr. Leslie Houts Picca, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Dayton talks about the secret side of racism. This is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series. The companion slide show is available here.
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08.01.07
Death Penalty: Discriminatory Cruelty
Margery Koosed, Aileen McMurray Trusler professor of law, University of Akron School of Law, takes on the death penalty. This is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.25.07
Military Commissions Act: Unchallenged Power and Indefinite Detentions
Speaker Ben Davis, Associate Professor of Law, University of Toledo College of Law wrangles with the Military Commissions Act. This talk is part of the 2007 Brown Bag Lecture Series.
This webcast is presented to you courtesy of The Village Television.
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07.24.07
A New Threat to Privacy! Will your driver’s license turn into a national ID?
Carrie Davis, ACLU of Ohio staff attorney, will speak about the new threat to privacy called The Real ID Act, which will turn your driver’s license into a federal identity document that every American will need in order to fly on commercial airlines, enter government buildings, and open bank accounts. This is part of the Columbus Lecture Series.
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07.18.07
Workplace Discrimination: Unfair and Unreasonable
Bo Shuff, director of education, Equality Ohio talks about the practicality of workplace diversity. This is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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07.11.07
School to Prison Pipeline: The ABC's of the Prison Superhighway
Dennis Parker, director, National ACLU Racial Justice Program, discusses the increasing flow of youth from schools to prison. This talk is part of the 2007 Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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06.27.07
Safe and Free: Upholding American Values in Times of Unrest
Frank Kunstel, national security expert and steering committee member of ACLU’s Akron Area Working Group, discusses the erosion of American values and constitutional rights in the name of “national security.” This is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
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05.17.07
Dope Game Conspiracy: The Incarceration of African American and Latino Males
This event is the third in the series Incarceration Nation: Examining the Impact of the War on Drugs, and features panelists Veronica Dahlberg, Dr. Ronnie Dunn, Bakari Kitwana, and Felix Muniz.
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05.10.07
Restore Lost Liberties
Secret prisons. Warrantless eavesdropping. The death of habeas corpus and due process. Jeff Gamso, ACLU of Ohio legal director, discusses how the administration ignores their obligation to end torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. military custody, continues to eavesdrop on Americans, squelches freedom to dissent, and more threats to civil liberties.
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04.19.07
Freedom Talks
Free speech hero Mary Beth Tinker recounts how she successfully challenged a school suspension all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court after wearing a black armband in protest of the Vietnam War.
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04.12.07
Double Penalty: Barring Financial Aid and Education to Working Class Students
This event is the second in the series Incarceration Nation: Examining the Impact of the War on Drugs, and features panelists Graham Boyd, Edward McKinney, and Dr. Michael Williams.
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03.29.07
Induced Terror: Doctors Engaged in Torture
Dr. Steven Miles, author of “Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror,” discusses the role some doctors are playing in the War on Terror.
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03.27.07
Broken Justice: A Look Inside Ohio’s Death Penalty System
ACLU of Ohio Legal Director and death penalty expert Jeff Gamso teams with Gary Beeman, an inmate who was exonerated from death row, and Kelly Culshaw, an attorney with the Ohio Public Defender’s Office, in examining the death penalty in Ohio.
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03.20.07
Real Nightmare: Stop Real ID!
Join ACLU of Ohio Staff Attorney Carrie Davis as she discusses the growing movement against the Real ID Act of 2005 and what civil libertarians can do to protect their privacy.
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03.13.07
Let the Sun Shine
As part of Sunshine Week, an annual event that brings attention to the importance of open government, Cleveland Plain Dealer Editor Doug Clifton shares his vast experience with public records and addresses the current status of the law.
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03.08.07
Campus Connection 2007 Keynote Presentation
Professor Shannon Gilreath, author of “Sexual Politics: The Gay Person in America Today,” discusses how to get the LGBT community to awaken from their apathy “to turn necessary attention to the politics that will bring the gay person the deserved equality that is so long overdue.”
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Collateral Damage: Girlfriends, Grandmothers and Mandatory Minimum Sentences
This event is the first in the series Incarceration Nation: Examining the Impact of the War on Drugs, and features panelists Brenda Aldana, Judge Ronald Adrine, and Charlotte Rerko.
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01.25.07
Religious Fundamentalism and Reproductive Rights
Featuring Michelle Goldberg, senior writer for Salon.com and author of “Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism.” This program was hosted by the Freedom of Choice Cleveland Coalition as part of their annual Roe v. Wade commemoration.
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01.24.07
Forgetting Equality: The Elimination of Affirmative Action
Michigan recently joined California and Texas in limiting affirmative action. Is Ohio next? This panel discussion features Stanley Miller, executive director of the Cleveland Branch NAACP, Kary Moss, executive director of the Michigan ACLU and Professor William Carter, Jr., of Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
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12.14.06
Freedom Talks! A Conversation with Mary Beth Tinker
A plaintiff in the landmark free speech case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District, Mary Beth Tinker recounts how she challenged a school suspension all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court after wearing a black armband in protest of the Vietnam War in 1965.
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11.01.06
Locked Out, Again!
A discussion about the disenfranchisement of youth from the civil rights generation to the hip-hop generation with hip-hop expert Bakari Kitwana and publisher of Third World Press, Haki R. Madhubuti.
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10.08.06
Justice at Guantanamo
Ed Likover Memorial Lecture featuring Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift, defense counsel in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
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10.03.06
Constitution Under Siege
A panel of civil liberties experts discusses the current expansion of executive powers and their effects on personal liberty.
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09.25.06
Free People Read Freely! Banned Books Week 2006
Local actors and activists read from works that have been challenged or removed from school and public libraries. Subversive characters such as Don Quixote, Huckleberry Finn, Captain Underpants, Harry Potter, and Holden Caufield are featured.
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08.16.06
Reproductive Freedom: The State of Choice in Ohio
Featuring Tara Broderick, Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland
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