Racial Justice

The ACLU envisions a free, safe and just society, where civil liberties are secure for all. Throughout our history, we have worked to ensure that constitutional protections are extended to all and that opportunities for education, employment, legal representation, and political participation are not denied on the basis of race.

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Recognizing the insidious legacy of structural racism and how it undermines freedom and equality for all, the ACLU of Ohio explicitly centers racial justice in all areas of our work, internal and external. We understand the Bill of Rights to contain living, evolving principles, which can and must be made applicable to every individual regardless of race.

Racial justice work is intersectional by design – the fight for racial justice is inseparable from struggles for voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, free speech, criminal legal system reform, and more.

Watch our Know Your Rights: Rights versus Reality video series where our panelists engage viewers in conversation surrounding the realities that Ohioans, particularly People of Color, can often experience when exercising their constitutionally protected rights with law enforcement.

The Latest

News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

Senate Bill 143 Proponent Testimony

SB 143 is an uncomplicated bill that recognizes two truths here in Ohio. One, lots of Ohioans have a criminal record. Two, those people often have a much more difficult time finding a job or even being considered for employment.
News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

Senate Bill 55 Proponent Testimony

Senate Bill 55 is such a noticeable improvement over current law, the ACLU of Ohio is compelled to support this bill and urge its passage. But, we do urge this committee and the various stakeholders involved to further improve this legislation.
News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

House Bill 296 – Proponent Testimony

House Bill 296 is a straightforward approach to easing the often insurmountable burdens faced by neighbors returning to our communities from Ohio’s prisons and transitional control.
News & Commentary
ohio statehouse graphic with red podium and microphone

Amended House Bill 20 – Opponent Testimony

Laws and legislation, like HB 20, inherently cast too wide of a net, impacting First Amendment rights.
Court Case
Sep 11, 2023

State v. Raglin (amicus)

In Hamilton County cases where the death penalty is sought, a black defendant with at least one white victim is 5.33 times more likely than other defendants to be sentenced to death. The ACLU of Ohio submitted an amicus brief in support of removing the sentence and a new trial for Mr. Raglin.
Court Case
Dec 11, 2012

Boustani v. Husted

Court Case
May 21, 2003

In Re Cincinnati Policing 209 F.R.D. 395 (S.D. Ohio 2003)