On May 21, 2021, national ACLU president Deborah Archer and ACLU of Connecticut executive director David McGuire came together to talk about the ACLU's work ahead for racial justice and systemic equity in a special livestreamed conversation. In this intimate event, they discussed the future and reflected on their own journeys within the ACLU and in the broader fights for civil rights and liberties. Special thanks to Dr. Lori Whynot, who provided American Sign Language translation for this event.
A transcript of the conversation is included below.
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>> Welcome everyone and thank you
for joining us today.
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Deborah, it's great to see you.
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>> Good to see you.
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>> Thanks for spending the time
with us today.
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I also want to start by thanking
our ASL interpreter Dr.
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Lori Whynot.
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As many of you know I'm the
executive director here in
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Connecticut and I have been with
the affiliate for 24 years.
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I started with a staff attorney
and I became the legislative and
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policy director and -- 2016.
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Deborah, you have an impressive
background, you're an activist, a
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Civil Rights attorney and currently
-- director of the Civil Rights
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clinic in NYU Law School.
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You also have an amazing history
with the ACLU where you're now the
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national board president.
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Could you share a little bit with
us about your career.
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>> Absolutely.
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First, thank you again for having
me and allowing me to join you for
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this conversation.
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Connecticut is my home and it's
important to me so I'm excited to
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speak with folks from Connecticut.
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Like you, I really started my
career at the ACLU.
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The ACLU has been an important
part of my professional life for
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about two and a half decades.
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Serving as the national president
now during this time is really an
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honor and certainly the ultimately
opportunity to both serve the ACLU
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and support the work of
dismantleing inequality and
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building the infrastructure for
equality which has been the focus
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of my work both inside and outside
of the ACLU.
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After I graduated from Law School,
I clerked for judge Alvin Thompson,
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who is a federal District Court
judge who sits in Hartford, who's
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an amazing, wonderful human being.
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Then I started my career as Civil
Rights litigator as a car pack and
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fellow with ACLU.
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In large because so many of the
issues the ACLU works on have
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touched my life
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personally.
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Right now the CARPAC -- racial
justice program, but back then in
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1997, the carp and fellow work for
everyone in the legal department so
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I had an opportunity to work on all
the issues that are at the core of
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the work of the ACLU.
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So it's really hard to overstate
how formative that experience was
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in shaping who I became as an
advocate and a Civil Rights
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litigator.
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And as I mentioned, one of the
reasons why Civil Rights and racial
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justice work means so much to me is
injected in the ACLU's motto that
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we're fighting for an America where
we the people means all of us.
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And that has always spoken to me
deeply.
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I've spent my life feeling that
the Constitution and the freedoms
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and equality it promises didn't
apply to me or my family.
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So I became a Civil Rights
litigator to fight for the rights
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of people like me and families like
mine and their ability to live
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without discrimination and to live
with dignity and respect.
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And this has driven my work and
commitment to the ACLU
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but also my work at the NAACP legal
defense fund where I worked on
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voting rights, school desegregation,
criminal justice reform, and
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educational equity cases and now at
NYU Law School where I teach the
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Civil Rights clinic and civil -- --
so the work of the ACLU is also my
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life's work, the work that I have
been doing throughout my career.
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>> You taught me a lot right there
about your background.
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I was excited because of your
leadership and your scholarship,
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but also because you're from
Connecticut, you alluded to that a
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couple times.
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Could you share a little bit more
about how growing up in Connecticut
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influenced your life's work?
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>> And I should also mention that
it was the ACLU of connect
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Connecticut's lit -- chef versus
O'Neill that really started me
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thinking about working for the ACLU
and seeing that there were lots of
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overlaps and connections between my
work and the important work you all
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have been doing for a very long
time.
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Yeah, Connecticut is my home.
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I grew up in Hartford and then my
family moved to winds or.
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And much of my family still lives
here.
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My parents, my siblings, aunts
and uncles and cousins, so I'm here
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every holiday, basically.
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And living in this state has been
wonderful and it really has shaped
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so much about who I am in ways that
I think are both positive and
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negative negative, but in the end
are important to who I have become
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as a person and an advocate.
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And I think most relevant for our
conversation today is the way that
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growing up and seeing the kind of
inequalities and the deep
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segregation we have in Connecticut
and personally experiencing it
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really shaped who I am.
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The systems that this country has
so effectively built to protect and
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maintain segregated communities
really does a tremendous amount of
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damage to the people who are left
out.
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And of course that's not because
Black people or other people of
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color would get some magical
benefit from living closer to white
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people or Black children would get
this mag magical benefit from
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attending school with white
children.
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It is fundamentally because you
cannot separate the places people
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have access to from the
opportunities people have access to
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to.
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Our homes, not only the physical
residence, the building that we
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live in but also the community in
which it's located impacts our
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lives in numerous and
interdependent ways because there's
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just nothing that place does not
touch.
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Our access to education and jobs,
our physical safety and our health,
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our access to healthy food, our
social networks.
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And the number and nature of
interactions with the police,
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they're all deeply impacted by
where we live.
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And in so many ways in Connecticut
we see the full arrays array of the
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tools of segregation at work and
the deep deep inequalities that
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result from that.
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And it certainly has influenced
my focus.
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I mentioned that I lived in
Hartford.
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We lived there for a while and my
parents who are both from Jamaica,
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I'm a first generation American
citizen, a first generation college
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graduate, and my parents, we lived
in Hartford and struggled to
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provide everything that our family
needed and eventually were able to
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save and move us to a home in wind
sore Connecticut, because they
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wanted us to attend better schools
and feel safer, to live in a
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neighborhood where we could go
outside and play and ride bikes and
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play in our yard and do all those
wonderful things.
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When we moved to Windsor, I was
probably 8 or 9 or 10, and we were
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one of three Black families who
lived in the neighborhood.
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It was clear that our neighbors
didn't want us there.
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And I remember very clearly
waking up one day to find that
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K KKK had been spray painted on our
house and our car.
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car and my parents having to
explain to me and my brother what
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that meant and why our neighbors
didn't want us there.
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And I was to live in that house
and I spent a lot of time after
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that with my grandparents in South
Windsor Connecticut.
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I didn't want to go to the park
there or go to school.
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So knowing in the beginning of my
life the impact of racism in that
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way and that experience really
shaped who I am and how I see the
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world moving forward.
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So I love Connecticut, it's a
beautiful place, a wonderful place,
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very different from -- it was when
I was growing up, but there are
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also so many challenges here.
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All of the challenges that we see
across the country we see them in
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Connecticut.
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And it's important that we're
doing the work to kind of unravel
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the systems that are invisible to
so many people, the systems that we
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take for granted to achieve our
goals of equality and equity.
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>> Thank you for sharing all that.
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That is really meaningful
meaningful stuff you just shared.
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It leads us into the heart of the
conversation today which is talking
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about how we could advance equity
as an institution and also end
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systems of oppression and I agree
with what you said earlier about
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civil liberties really being hollow
promises unless they're really
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backed up in a way that everyone in
several times can respect it.
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Not everyone can enforce their
rights in the same way.
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When I came to Connecticut, I
grew up in New York, when I came
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after Law School, I heard a lot of
talk from elected officials and
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community leaders about how we are
not a racist stated and are
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progressive and evolved.
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And very quickly I learned that
is not the case through folks I met
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personal but also through doing our
intake as staff attorney.
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It was my job when I came here to
sort through our intake and saw up
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close and personal and then later
in interviews with folks in our
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prison system and in the
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community that we have major major
racial equity problems here in
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Connecticut and that folks are very
quick to pretend that's not an
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issue but it truly is.
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As executive director of the
[Away from mic] of Connecticut, I
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really try to lead us in a
direction of centering racial
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equity in all of our work because
it is our biggest problem here in
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Connecticut in my estimation.
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And we've done a lot to focus on
ending mass incarceration, reducing
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racial disparities in the legal
system and really trying to root
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out Rachel and violence perpetrated
by police by reducing the role,
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responsibilities and size of
policing in Connecticut.
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Three years ago we launched the
Smart Justice Campaign Campaign,
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which is empowered by justice
impacted leaders and it has been
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transformative both for the way we
do the work, the impact and the
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policy and landscape in
Connecticut.
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I'm really excited about that
work.
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I know that we've talked offline
about that work and how I think it
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fits really so perfectly
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with the work of national systemic
equality campaign that I know you
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have a big piece of influence on.
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So I'm hoping you could tell us a
bit more about your goals for the
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ACLU now that you're national board
president.
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>> You actually asked me like five
questions.
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>> I'm working on my interviewing
skills.
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>> For the ones that I don't answer,
you can ask me again.
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I'm going to start with just the
systemic inequality that l Rachel
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is racism is systemic.
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I appreciate that you framed that
question in the terms of systemic O
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oppression and discrimination.
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I think you all at the ACLU
Connecticut you have been at the
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forefront of challenging these
systems.
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We mentioned the criminal legal
system and from the beginning to
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the end, from policing to prisons
to re-entry, you all are doing work
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to fundamentally transform
Connecticut's criminal legal
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system.
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I think in thinking of the
devastating impact of COVID on
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community and not only racialized
police violence we have been
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fighting back against this year but
the broader impact of the criminal
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legal system and its expanding
reach and province of authority,
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it's all about systems.
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There are many systems of
oppression at play in the examples
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you listed as well but just
focusing on racism for a minute, I
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think the last year has reinforced
that
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not only do we need to think of the
problems of inequality as system
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systemic but attack and fight them
as a systemic problem.
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And I found that many, many
people really don't understand what
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it means to address systemic
racism.
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So when you say people in
Connecticut will say that we are
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not a racist state, I think that's
because still when most people
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think of racism, they think about a
person or group of people who
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dislike people of a different race
and then act on that dislike or
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we're more frequently talking about
implicit bias where someone is
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acting on unconscious feelings.
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But thinking of racism only in
those terms, I think, really
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misunderstands the true nature,
power and persistence of racism.
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And this understanding really
overlooks the centuries long impact
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of race race-based laws, policies
and practices that have caused the
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inequality that we see today and
have perpetuated racial inequality
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over centuries.
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I think when people say we are
not racist and they're focusing on
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the limited definition of racism,
it misses the racism of sending
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your children to an under aroused,
heavily segregated public school
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which consistently under prepares
its children for college and
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instead puts them on track to the
criminal legal system and then
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having to move to a white
neighborhood in order to access the
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kind of opportunities that you want
as my parents had to do.
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And those definitions miss the
racism of living an hour and a half
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away from decent jobs because your
community isn't served by public
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transportation or the lack of
access to supermarket providing
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affordable healthy food or even the
way that highways destroyed
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communities, including in
Connecticut, and the resulting
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environmental stress, right?
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It's difficult if not truly
impossible to find single actors
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responsible for those handlers and
to show that that was activated
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predominantly by racial an mists.
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But it's still racism.
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And the focus on racism presumes
that by eliminateing the abhorrent
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behavior of individuals, we are
going to root out bias in our
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systems but that means we're using
tools that are too small and too
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narrow to be effective.
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And it means that we are not
acting in a way that challenges the
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many, many ways that racism
fundamentally persists in its
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power.
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So at the core, I think the work
of the ACLU is about closing the
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gap between the America that was
promised and the America that is.
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And if we are going to achieve
that goal, we have to deepen and
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00:32:35,782 --> 00:32:41,782
expand our racial justice work and
focus on challenging how racism
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persists in its power and that's
systemically.
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We have today an opportunity and
a responsibility to do the work to
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00:32:49,782 --> 00:32:53,782
really dismantle that architecture
and to challenge those systems.
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So as you
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mentioned in February, we launched
our systemic equality agenda.
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And that's a comprehensive racial
justice agenda that seeks to
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00:33:07,782 --> 00:33:14,782
address this legacy of racism and
systemic discrimination in this
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00:33:14,782 --> 00:33:19,782
current reality of systemic
discrimination through legislative
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campaigns targetinging the
Biden-Harris administration but
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00:33:22,782 --> 00:33:25,782
also Congress through advocacy
efforts and legal strategies to
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strike down the laws and practices
that exclude and harm.
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00:33:30,782 --> 00:33:33,782
And this work will have a
national focus but of course a key
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part will be state by state
strategies driven by our affiliates
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and the work they're doing on the
ground.
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The national office is excited to
both partner with affiliates to do
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00:33:45,782 --> 00:33:50,782
this work and also provide other
forms of support for the work at
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the affiliate level.
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And I'll also just mention that
we're viewing this work in a few
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buckets.
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The first is work to reconcile
the past.
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The scars that were created by
hundreds of years of chattel
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slavery and racially discriminatory
government policies
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00:34:07,282 --> 00:34:12,282
that followed are deep and they are
going to require real resources and
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00:34:12,282 --> 00:34:15,282
investment in communities that have
been harmed.
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00:34:15,282 --> 00:34:21,282
We also need to, as I said,
challenge that structure of
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inequality.
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The narrative work, to change the
narrative around inequality.
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We also have another bucket about
extending empowerment.
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I think the barriers to full
participation in the democratic
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00:34:33,475 --> 00:34:37,475
process undermine our true
political power and ultimately
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00:34:37,475 --> 00:34:40,475
denying the right to elect
candidates with shared values who
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00:34:40,475 --> 00:34:42,475
can enact the kind of policies that
will create equality.
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00:34:45,081 --> 00:34:50,081
And what we're seeing now instead
are people trampling on our rights
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00:34:50,081 --> 00:34:53,081
because they want to hold on to
power completely and indefinitely,
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00:34:53,081 --> 00:34:57,081
only giving some access when it
serves their purpose and that's not
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00:34:57,081 --> 00:34:59,081
the way that thoxworks.
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00:34:59,081 --> 00:35:02,081
We're also working to build
prosperity.
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The gaps in wealth between Black
and White House holds really
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00:35:07,081 --> 00:35:13,081
symposia accumulated -- as well as
differences in power and
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00:35:13,081 --> 00:35:18,081
opportunity that can be traced back
to this nation's inception.
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00:35:18,081 --> 00:35:23,081
So that includes economic justice
work, which we haven't
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00:35:23,081 --> 00:35:27,081
traditionally focused on, doing
work to increase access
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to basic financial services like
through postal banking.
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00:35:32,139 --> 00:35:35,139
And then we're also trying to
increase access.
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In order to level the playing
field so that everyone can achieve
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their highest potential, I think we
have to ensure access to the tools
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that are necessary to thrive.
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That includes eliminateing
barriers to re-entry that you work
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00:35:53,139 --> 00:35:57,139
on ending algorithmic bias and
discrimination, working to
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00:35:57,139 --> 00:36:00,139
affirmatively further fair housing
and ending segregation.
307
00:36:00,139 --> 00:36:03,139
But of course it's only a part of
our work.
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00:36:03,139 --> 00:36:07,139
And if you want I'm happy to talk
about the other work that lies
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00:36:07,139 --> 00:36:09,139
ahead but I've spoken a lot
already.
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>> No, this is great.
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People hear way too much from me.
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00:36:14,636 --> 00:36:17,636
I like your perspective and the
frame that you bring.
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00:36:17,636 --> 00:36:20,836
I think it's a really useful one
to look at the work we have to do
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00:36:20,836 --> 00:36:23,236
and I think the evolution of our
work in Connecticut aligns with
315
00:36:23,236 --> 00:36:23,736
that.
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We were initially, when I came
here, really, really working in the
317
00:36:30,859 --> 00:36:34,859
micro and often chasing our own
tails and not getting systems
318
00:36:34,859 --> 00:36:38,859
change that needs to happen and
understanding that these resilient
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00:36:38,859 --> 00:36:42,859
systems that have been built to
essentially further white supremacy,
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00:36:42,859 --> 00:36:46,859
and they are very good at doing
that and they're very hard to
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00:36:46,859 --> 00:36:52,859
unwind, which is why I can't speak
highly enough about our smart
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00:36:52,859 --> 00:36:57,859
justice leaders because that is one
of the ant dotes, I believe.
323
00:36:57,859 --> 00:37:01,859
When people are able to speak
truth to power from lived
324
00:37:01,859 --> 00:37:04,859
experience, it creates a
humanizeing effect that makes it a
325
00:37:04,859 --> 00:37:08,859
lot more difficult for the holders
of the power who don't want to let
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00:37:08,859 --> 00:37:11,859
go to justify their practices and
continuing those practices.
327
00:37:11,859 --> 00:37:14,859
So your words are really a nice
328
00:37:14,859 --> 00:37:18,859
confirmation that we and other
affiliates are on the right track.
329
00:37:18,859 --> 00:37:19,859
>> Absolutely.
330
00:37:19,859 --> 00:37:23,859
I think as you just really said
very well, it is not just about the
331
00:37:23,859 --> 00:37:28,859
work that we do, but how we do that
work and who does that work.
332
00:37:28,859 --> 00:37:33,859
And I think that that's a big
change in the ACLU from the days
333
00:37:33,859 --> 00:37:39,859
had I started as a CARPAC and
fellow back in 1997 to today, it's
334
00:37:39,859 --> 00:37:45,859
a very different organization in
terms of who we are as an
335
00:37:45,859 --> 00:37:49,859
organization, who's doing the work
and how we're engaging with
336
00:37:49,859 --> 00:37:54,859
communities, how we are engaging
and centering the voice and
337
00:37:54,859 --> 00:37:57,859
perspectives and the actual work of
impacted individuals.
338
00:37:57,859 --> 00:38:04,859
I think it is a wonderful shift
in how we're doing the work across
339
00:38:04,859 --> 00:38:05,859
the country.
340
00:38:05,859 --> 00:38:09,859
And you mentioned the importance
of doing the systemic work.
341
00:38:09,859 --> 00:38:12,859
I think that's also something to
me that was attractive about coming
342
00:38:12,859 --> 00:38:16,859
to the ACLU and is still attractive
in wanting to give as much time as
343
00:38:16,859 --> 00:38:19,859
I can to support their work.
344
00:38:19,859 --> 00:38:23,859
It's that we're trying to focus
on the systemic work but also
345
00:38:23,859 --> 00:38:26,859
representing individuals because
it's important for us to change the
346
00:38:26,859 --> 00:38:29,859
law on the books to create new
347
00:38:29,859 --> 00:38:34,859
structures and paradigms and
concepts around what equality means
348
00:38:34,859 --> 00:38:38,859
and to fight that, to fight to
embed that in our structures and
349
00:38:38,859 --> 00:38:44,859
our systems but also at the end of
the day, justice depends on the
350
00:38:44,859 --> 00:38:46,859
ability of everyday people.
351
00:38:46,859 --> 00:38:47,859
>> Yes.
352
00:38:47,859 --> 00:38:52,859
>> To live lives with dignity and
respect and to access and be able
353
00:38:52,859 --> 00:38:55,859
to utilize those rights that we've
helped enshrine.
354
00:38:55,859 --> 00:38:58,859
That means representing
individuals to make sure that they
355
00:38:58,859 --> 00:39:01,859
are enjoying the full force of
their rights.
356
00:39:01,859 --> 00:39:06,859
And the ACLU, I think, tries to
do both of those things and does
357
00:39:06,859 --> 00:39:07,859
them well.
358
00:39:07,859 --> 00:39:11,859
>> One of the things that I think
makes the ACLU so powerful and
359
00:39:11,859 --> 00:39:14,859
effective is we have a presence in
every state.
360
00:39:14,859 --> 00:39:18,859
The full-time network is a really
powerful asset that the
361
00:39:18,859 --> 00:39:21,859
organization has, but also that we
have full service shops.
362
00:39:21,859 --> 00:39:25,859
We have litigation department,
policy departments, top notch
363
00:39:25,859 --> 00:39:30,859
communications, and we're using all
those together to get at shared
364
00:39:30,859 --> 00:39:33,859
goals and in our state really at
racial equity.
365
00:39:33,859 --> 00:39:38,859
Can you speak to the evolution
that you've seen in the ACLU from
366
00:39:38,859 --> 00:39:44,859
your times at CARPAC and fellow to
now and also why we are an
367
00:39:44,859 --> 00:39:46,059
effective organize that is worth
supporting?
368
00:39:46,059 --> 00:39:53,059
>> Yeah, I think I believe 100% in
the transformational potential of
369
00:39:53,059 --> 00:39:54,059
integrated advocacy.
370
00:39:54,059 --> 00:40:00,059
And that's what you described,
litigation, public education,
371
00:40:00,059 --> 00:40:05,059
legislative advocacy, all working
together to advance the needle to
372
00:40:05,059 --> 00:40:06,059
achieve change.
373
00:40:06,059 --> 00:40:12,059
As the ACLU has grown, we
certainly could have just grown by
374
00:40:12,059 --> 00:40:17,059
adding more litigators and becoming
this powerhouses powerhouse 100%
375
00:40:17,059 --> 00:40:23,059
litigation shop but I think what
we've done is to grow in so many
376
00:40:23,059 --> 00:40:27,059
ways that we have folks who are
litigators, the best in the country,
377
00:40:27,059 --> 00:40:30,459
all around the country.
378
00:40:30,459 --> 00:40:33,459
We have folks who are engaged in
policy discussions and analysis and
379
00:40:33,459 --> 00:40:36,059
proposals.
380
00:40:36,059 --> 00:40:38,459
We have folks working with and in
communities to build power and
381
00:40:38,459 --> 00:40:38,959
capacity.
382
00:40:38,959 --> 00:40:42,959
We are engaged in the narrative
work to change the way that we talk
383
00:40:42,959 --> 00:40:44,959
about these issues because language
and words are so important.
384
00:40:48,065 --> 00:40:51,065
We're engaged in efforts to
improve and advance community
385
00:40:51,065 --> 00:40:51,565
education.
386
00:40:51,565 --> 00:40:55,565
So I think that that has been the
most amazing change at the ACLU is
387
00:40:55,565 --> 00:40:59,565
the way that we have evolved
through this
388
00:40:59,565 --> 00:41:03,565
organization that is using every
tool that's available to us to
389
00:41:03,565 --> 00:41:07,565
deepen and expand not only
protections of our Civil Rights and
390
00:41:07,565 --> 00:41:13,565
civil liberties but to deepen and
expand our understanding of what
391
00:41:13,565 --> 00:41:16,565
those Civil Rights and civil
liberties encompass.
392
00:41:16,565 --> 00:41:21,565
As you mentioned, having offices
in every state in the country means
393
00:41:21,565 --> 00:41:25,565
that we can be engaged in the fight
all around the country, use the
394
00:41:25,565 --> 00:41:29,565
knowledge that we've gained from
fighting this fight in Connecticut
395
00:41:29,565 --> 00:41:33,565
to fight a new challenge that comes
up in Texas, or using information
396
00:41:33,565 --> 00:41:38,565
that we gained in a fight in Idaho
to fight a challenge in Florida.
397
00:41:38,565 --> 00:41:42,565
It means we're always ready to go,
and it is a wonderful and dynamic
398
00:41:42,565 --> 00:41:44,965
organization to be a part of.
399
00:41:45,288 --> 00:41:50,288
The work ahead is going to be
challenging.
400
00:41:50,288 --> 00:41:54,288
The ACLU work expands across
issues and really just covers the
401
00:41:54,288 --> 00:42:00,288
entire water front of Civil Rights
and civil liberties.
402
00:42:00,288 --> 00:42:04,288
And the work to rebuild
communities that were damaged and
403
00:42:04,288 --> 00:42:08,288
harmed and targeted by the past
administration is really going to
404
00:42:08,288 --> 00:42:10,288
be a challenge for all of us.
405
00:42:10,288 --> 00:42:15,288
But even more, we have a window
opportunity, a small window of
406
00:42:15,288 --> 00:42:21,288
opportunity that I think is already
closing, to really deepen and
407
00:42:21,288 --> 00:42:24,288
expand, as I said, the protection
of fundamental Civil Rights and
408
00:42:24,288 --> 00:42:30,288
civil liberties to really tear
apart this structure that
409
00:42:30,288 --> 00:42:33,288
perpetuates systemic racial
inequality.
410
00:42:33,288 --> 00:42:36,288
And having this network across
the country is going to help us do
411
00:42:36,288 --> 00:42:37,288
all of that work.
412
00:42:37,288 --> 00:42:39,288
>> I totally agree.
413
00:42:39,288 --> 00:42:41,288
So we're winding down here.
414
00:42:41,288 --> 00:42:46,288
You touched on a dark period that
we've just gone through as a
415
00:42:46,288 --> 00:42:51,288
country and we've also gone through
a global pandemic so it's been a
416
00:42:51,288 --> 00:42:53,488
really rough four and a half years
for everyone in America.
417
00:42:53,488 --> 00:42:57,488
One of the silver lining that I
find and I think it is a real one
418
00:42:57,488 --> 00:43:02,488
is that the past four years have
made folks really aware of the need
419
00:43:02,488 --> 00:43:08,488
to stand up and speak out and fight
for their rights and be very
420
00:43:08,488 --> 00:43:12,488
careful about who they empower to
protect them and expand them.
421
00:43:12,488 --> 00:43:14,488
I do feel really positive right
now.
422
00:43:14,488 --> 00:43:19,488
I feel like there is an energy
and an awareness around Civil
423
00:43:19,488 --> 00:43:22,488
Rights and civil liberties that I
haven't seen in my first 14 years
424
00:43:22,488 --> 00:43:24,488
here and our membership has grown
as well.
425
00:43:24,488 --> 00:43:28,488
We have a lot of supporters on
this program today.
426
00:43:28,488 --> 00:43:33,488
And of course we want them to
stay with us and we want to show
427
00:43:33,488 --> 00:43:34,488
we're effective.
428
00:43:34,488 --> 00:43:37,488
And I think seeing your
leadership and your perspective
429
00:43:37,488 --> 00:43:40,088
helps make that case.
430
00:43:40,088 --> 00:43:43,088
Aside from supporting us, what
else would you tell our supporters
431
00:43:43,088 --> 00:43:48,088
that are watching this today that
they should do over the next, say,
432
00:43:48,088 --> 00:43:51,488
six to 12 months.
433
00:43:51,488 --> 00:43:53,688
As you say, I think we have a
window right now.
434
00:43:53,688 --> 00:43:55,488
Is there any advice you have for
those folks?
435
00:43:55,488 --> 00:43:58,488
>> I would say that advocacy,
because advocacy has to occur on
436
00:43:58,488 --> 00:44:03,488
many, many levels, we tend to just
focus on the big picture.
437
00:44:03,488 --> 00:44:06,488
So focusing on federal advocacy
or statewide advocacy.
438
00:44:06,488 --> 00:44:10,488
And I think we've seen
particularly with response to the
439
00:44:10,488 --> 00:44:14,488
pandemic, the importance of being
engaged in our local communities
440
00:44:14,488 --> 00:44:19,488
and of holding every individual
actor, every elected official
441
00:44:19,488 --> 00:44:23,488
responsible for the oath they took
to uphold our Constitution.
442
00:44:23,488 --> 00:44:27,488
We're seeing now boards of
education that are trying to
443
00:44:27,488 --> 00:44:33,488
rewrite history and write out the
realityies of slavery and racial
444
00:44:33,488 --> 00:44:34,488
inequality.
445
00:44:34,488 --> 00:44:38,488
And we need to make sure that
folks who are in front of them
446
00:44:38,488 --> 00:44:39,488
pushing back.
447
00:44:39,488 --> 00:44:44,488
I would ask that people get
involved everywhere at every level,
448
00:44:44,488 --> 00:44:47,488
not wait 'til it's an election year
again.
449
00:44:47,488 --> 00:44:50,488
There's important work to be done
each and every day.
450
00:44:50,488 --> 00:44:56,488
We see that we are in a fight to
defend our freedom of expression
451
00:44:56,488 --> 00:44:59,488
online, responding to efforts
across the country to take away
452
00:44:59,488 --> 00:45:08,488
people's ability to protest, the
attacks on transgender kids in
453
00:45:08,488 --> 00:45:09,888
particular, government surveillance,
there's just so much.
454
00:45:12,295 --> 00:45:12,795
Right?
455
00:45:12,795 --> 00:45:17,795
Find an issue that is important to
you, use your skills, abilities and
456
00:45:17,795 --> 00:45:20,795
knowledge to join the struggle,
however you can.
457
00:45:20,795 --> 00:45:25,795
And if you're not someone who has
the time, then there are other
458
00:45:25,795 --> 00:45:29,795
resources that you can give, but I
really do hope that, as you said,
459
00:45:29,795 --> 00:45:33,795
we have seen such incredible
participation, people making sure
460
00:45:33,795 --> 00:45:36,795
their voices are heard, people
harnessing, challenging and using
461
00:45:36,795 --> 00:45:41,795
the power we have in our
communities and I hope it continues
462
00:45:41,795 --> 00:45:42,795
and doesn't stop.
463
00:45:42,795 --> 00:45:47,795
We're seeing really scary efforts
to push back, taking away the
464
00:45:47,795 --> 00:45:51,795
rights to protest as people have
seen how powerful protests can be,
465
00:45:51,795 --> 00:45:55,795
trying to take away the right to
vote as people have seen how
466
00:45:55,795 --> 00:46:00,795
powerful voting can be, and I hope
people will not be deterred, and
467
00:46:00,795 --> 00:46:06,795
that more people instead will join
this fight and help push back to
468
00:46:06,795 --> 00:46:10,795
give window of opportunity that
will only be open for a short
469
00:46:10,795 --> 00:46:11,795
period of time.
470
00:46:11,795 --> 00:46:14,795
>> Thank you for that wisdom and
pep talk.
471
00:46:14,795 --> 00:46:22,795
I think you're right, the efforts
to curb voting and free speech is
472
00:46:22,795 --> 00:46:24,795
an absolute sign it's working.
473
00:46:24,795 --> 00:46:28,795
I want to thank you, Deborah, for
this really great talk.
474
00:46:28,795 --> 00:46:33,795
I want to thank you for your
support of the ACLU and
475
00:46:33,795 --> 00:46:34,295
Connecticut.
476
00:46:34,295 --> 00:46:39,295
I feel confident that with
leaders like you we're on the right
477
00:46:39,295 --> 00:46:39,795
track.
478
00:46:39,795 --> 00:46:42,795
I would like to thank everyone
online.
479
00:46:42,795 --> 00:46:45,795
I appreciate your commitment to
our work and organization.
480
00:46:45,795 --> 00:46:48,795
Thank you again to Lori for
signing and her expertise here
481
00:46:48,795 --> 00:46:49,295
today.
482
00:46:49,295 --> 00:46:53,295
There will be a recording of this
conversation made available soon on
483
00:46:53,295 --> 00:46:54,295
Facebook and YouTube.
484
00:46:54,295 --> 00:46:57,295
Please share it out with your
friends.
485
00:46:57,295 --> 00:46:59,095
This is some valuable information
we all got today.
486
00:47:01,554 --> 00:47:04,554
And follow us on social media,
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
487
00:47:04,554 --> 00:47:06,554
I hope everyone has a great
weekend.
488
00:47:06,554 --> 00:47:07,054
Thank you.
489
00:47:07,054 --> 00:47:07,654
>> Thank you.
490
00:47:07,654 --> 00:47:09,254
>> Thank you, Deborah.
