Racial Justice

Racial Justice

The state of Florida has a shameful history of discrimination and bias against racial minorities. Though great strides have been made for equality during and since the Civil Rights Movement, racial minorities still face challenges and discrimination in our state. The voting power of racial minorities have been diluted by such devices as gerrymandering, and Florida’s voting ban against people with prior felony convictions has robbed hundreds of thousands of minorities of their right to vote. Furthermore, anti-immigrant laws have stripped away basic civil rights for many of the state’s ethnic minorities.

Because so many of Florida’s voting problems, particularly those that became apparent during and since the 2000 Presidential election, fell most heavily on African Americans and language minority communities, much of the ACLU of Florida work is directed toward correcting voting irregularities that have a disproportionate impact on those groups. The ACLU of Florida also actively supports reforms such as the creation of effective civilian review boards for law enforcement that would bring changes in police policies and practices.

The Latest

News & Commentary
Bacardi Jackson Headshot

Bacardi Jackson: "We are seeing a concerted effort to erase the history of certain people"

Bacardi Jackson is an attorney and executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. She's a powerful voice in the fight against book censorship in Florida and in defense of democracy.
News & Commentary
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George Takei: How the Alien Enemies Act Paved the Way for the Incarceration of My Family

The actor and writer shares with the ACLU why he fears that, in Trump's America, history is repeating itself.
News & Commentary
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Five Years After George Floyd, the Fight for Police Accountability Isn't Over

As Donald Trump tries to limit efforts to combat police brutality, the ACLU’s Seven States Safety Campaign shows how communities are stepping up to demand justice.
News & Commentary
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‘Devastated’ and ‘Hopeless.’ Researchers Speak Out on Funding Cuts

The National Institute of Health (NIH) abruptly cancelled millions of dollars in grants for research that it claims are related to “gender identity” or “diversity, equity and inclusion.” The ACLU sued.