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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. 04.14.08Torture: A History of the PresentJameel 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. .
Watch the video from Case Western Reserve University School of Law here  
03.13.08Stop 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. .
02.21.08Election DissectionFormer 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. .
02.12.08The Death Penalty: Fair & Just or Cruel & UnusualA 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. .
01.23.08Abortion in a Hostile EnvironmentFreedom 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. .
01.08.08Gang Ties: The Untold TruthsA 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. .
12.13.07Coming 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.
12.03.07Black on the BlockJoin 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.
11.08.07Coming 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.
10.24.07UnReal: What the New National ID Means for YouChris 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.
10.21.07Profiled for Prison: The Selective Enforcement of Drug LawsAt 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.
10.11.07Banned Books Week CelebrationAuthor 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.
10.10.07Should 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. .
10.02.07Silenced DemocracyInvestigative 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. .
09.20.07UnReal: What the New National ID Means for YouCarrie 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.
09.18.07Youth Leadership in the 1960’s Civil Rights StruggleNoted 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
08.30.07Women’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.
08.08.07The Two Faces of Racism: Attitudes Behind Closed DoorsDr. 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.
08.01.07Death Penalty: Discriminatory CrueltyMargery 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.
07.25.07Military Commissions Act: Unchallenged Power and Indefinite DetentionsSpeaker 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.
07.24.07A 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.
07.18.07Workplace Discrimination: Unfair and UnreasonableBo Shuff, director of education, Equality Ohio talks about the practicality of workplace diversity. This is part of the Brown Bag Lecture Series.
07.11.07School to Prison Pipeline: The ABC's of the Prison SuperhighwayDennis 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.
06.27.07Safe and Free: Upholding American Values in Times of UnrestFrank 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.
05.17.07Dope Game Conspiracy: The Incarceration of African American and Latino MalesThis 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.
05.10.07Restore Lost LibertiesSecret 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.
04.19.07Freedom TalksFree 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.
04.12.07Double Penalty: Barring Financial Aid and Education to Working Class StudentsThis 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.
03.29.07Induced Terror: Doctors Engaged in TortureDr. 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.
03.27.07Broken Justice: A Look Inside Ohio’s Death Penalty SystemACLU 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.
03.20.07Real 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.
03.13.07Let the Sun ShineAs 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.
03.08.07Campus Connection 2007 Keynote PresentationProfessor 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.”
Collateral Damage: Girlfriends, Grandmothers and Mandatory Minimum SentencesThis 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.
01.25.07Religious Fundamentalism and Reproductive RightsFeaturing 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.
01.24.07Forgetting Equality: The Elimination of Affirmative ActionMichigan 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.
12.14.06Freedom Talks! A Conversation with Mary Beth TinkerA 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.
11.01.06Locked 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.
10.08.06Justice at GuantanamoEd Likover Memorial Lecture featuring Lieutenant Commander Charles D. Swift, defense counsel in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
10.03.06Constitution Under SiegeA panel of civil liberties experts discusses the current expansion of executive powers and their effects on personal liberty.
09.25.06Free People Read Freely! Banned Books Week 2006Local 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.
08.16.06Reproductive Freedom: The State of Choice in OhioFeaturing Tara Broderick, Chief Executive Officer of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cleveland
08.02.06War on Terrorism: The Ethics of Political ViolenceWith Professor Gabriel Palmer-Fernandez of Youngstown State University |
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