“When we say black lives matter, it’s not because others don’t. it’s simply because we have to affirm that we are worthy of existing without fear when so many things tell us we are not.”
– Clint Smith
This country was founded over 200 years ago on the principles of freedom and equality, but for millions, this vision has yet to be realized. Despite the efforts of generations of civil rights activists, our country has yet to rid itself of pervasive racism, which has kept people of color at a stark disadvantage throughout history, and continues to do so. Racial injustice is painfully evident in the areas of education, criminal justice, housing, and employment, the results of which can be seen in the wildly disproportionate numbers of people of color who are impoverished, incarcerated, disenfranchised, and lacking higher education.
What are we doing about it?
The ACLU of Kansas is committed to promoting racial justice and guaranteeing equal protection under the law by reforming the criminal justice system. We’ve helped to pass laws that require all Kansas police departments to report racial profiling and implement racial bias training, and now we are working to find ways to strengthen those laws and ensure that they are followed by all agencies. We also use our Know Your Rights project to educate people about their constitutional rights when dealing with law enforcement. Additionally, we challenge the efforts of Kansas lawmakers to suppress voters, and fight policies that have disparate effects on minority communities.
We must remain vigilant in our efforts to establish a state of equality for people of all races, and the ACLU of Kansas will continue to monitor and investigate reports of racial inequality in Kansas.
