A few weeks ago, the ACLU and other civil rights organizations announced a landmark settlement with Facebook to prevent advertisers from using ad-targeting filters based on race, gender, and age on job, housing, and credit ads. But Facebook ads are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the use of algorithms to reinforce and automatize bias. ACLU attorneys Galen Sherwin and Esha Bhandari join At Liberty to discuss the impact of these technologies on people’s lives and fighting discriminati...
Apr 25, 2019•36 min
On Tuesday, April 23, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear the case Department of Commerce v. New York, which asks whether a question about citizenship can be added to the 2020 Census questionnaire. The case will be argued by Dale Ho, the director of the ACLU Voting Rights Project. He joins At Liberty to discuss the case and how he's preparing for oral argument in our country’s highest court.
Apr 18, 2019•24 min
At Liberty sits down with Meg Singer, the Indigenous Justice program manager at the ACLU of Montana, and Lillian Alvernaz, the ACLU’s first Indigenous Justice Legal Fellow, to discuss Indigenous justice and organizing for social change in Indigenous communities. To learn more about Meg and Lillian and the ACLU of Montana’s Indigenous justice work visit www.aclumontana.org.
Apr 11, 2019•30 min
Sergio de la Pava is a critically acclaimed novelist (A Naked Singularity, Personae, Lost Empress) and a full-time public defender who has represented thousands of criminal defendants over the last two decades. He joined At Liberty live at the Brooklyn Public Library to discuss his literary and legal work and his approach to life.
Apr 04, 2019•46 min
Nicole Ozer, the Technology and Civil Liberties director for the ACLU of California, has been at the forefront of debates around privacy and technology for more than 15 years. She joins At Liberty to break down the current state of facial recognition technology and why it raises civil rights and civil liberties concerns.
Mar 28, 2019•22 min
Reginald Dwayne Betts is a published poet, memoirist, and legal scholar who's currently pursuing a Ph.D. in law at Yale. His legal work, like his poetry, is informed by the years he spent in prison as a teen. This week he sits down with At Liberty to discuss his journey to the legal profession, his perspective on the criminal justice system, and his art.
Mar 21, 2019•37 min
This week, At Liberty comes to you from Austin, TX, where we recorded in front of a live audience with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, Audioslave, and The Nightwatchman. We sat down to discuss “Atlas Underground,” Morello’s new album of “social justice ghost stories,” as well as his decades of activism on issues like criminal justice reform, income inequality, unions, free speech, and mental health. Morello also announced his new role as an ambassador for the ACLU’s Campaign for Smart J...
Mar 14, 2019•30 min
Rocky Myers is one of 175 people on death row in Alabama. The devastating flaws in his case from the moment of arrest to his sentencing displays the injustice of a brutal criminal system. His attorney Kacey Keeton and investigator Sara Romano join At Liberty to discuss the death penalty, Rocky’s case, and his appeal for clemency. Learn more and sign the petition for clemency at www.aclu.org/rocky.
Mar 07, 2019•35 min
As Black History Month comes to an end, Professor Carol Anderson (Emory University) joins At Liberty to discuss ongoing voter suppression efforts in the United States, and as a bonus, she tells the story of how the NAACP helped lead the global struggle against colonialism in the 1940s and 1950s.
Feb 28, 2019•35 min
Alan Rusbridger is the former editor of The Guardian and author of "Breaking News: The Remaking of Journalism and Why It Matters Now." He joins At Liberty to discuss the state of journalism in the social media age: what has been lost in this information revolution and what has been gained?
Feb 21, 2019•23 min
This Valentine's Day, we're joined by Melissa Murray, NYU Law professor and expert on the legal regulation of sex and sexuality. Professor Murray and host Emerson Sykes discuss the legal institution of marriage as it has been used by and against marginalized people, and consider the victories and setbacks in the fight for marriage — and nonmarriage — equality.
Feb 14, 2019•34 min
As part of the "Night of Philosophy and Ideas," renowned philosopher and NYT Ethicist columnist Kwame Anthony Appiah joined host Emerson Sykes — and a live audience! — to discuss identity, ethics, and the law. The event was hosted by the Brooklyn Public Library and the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.
Feb 07, 2019•37 min
In his new Oscar-nominated film "Vice," Adam McKay(Saturday Night Live, "The Big Short") tells the story of Dick Cheney's journey from college dropout to becoming the most powerful — and probably the most controversial — vice president in American history. McKay joins At Liberty to discuss Cheney's legacy and why he chose to tell this story now.
Jan 31, 2019•37 min
Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has become a cultural icon, inspiring internet memes, popular biographies, documentaries, and a new feature film called On the Basis of Sex. This week, we reflect on her impact on the ACLU, where she founded the Women’s Rights Project in 1972. We’re joined by Lenora Lapidus, the project’s current director, to discuss the fight for women’s rights then and now.
Jan 24, 2019•29 min
A raft of new state and federal laws are seeking to stop people from participating in political boycotts aimed at the state of Israel. ACLU attorney Brian Hauss has challenged these laws across the U.S., and just this month argued against one in Arkansas. He joins Emerson Sykes — At Liberty’s new host! — to discuss what exactly this all means and why it's a major threat to the First Amendment. Update (1/18/19): After this episode was released, J Street clarified that the organization does not, i...
Jan 17, 2019•25 min
The Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, establishing access to abortion care as a fundamental right. But state legislatures have been chipping away at that right ever since, passing thousands of restrictions on abortion access and targeting abortion providers with burdensome rules. Several states now have only one abortion clinic left. Millions of women have no meaningful access to abortion care. Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the ACLU, discusses what to watch for at this pivota...
Jan 10, 2019•29 min
For our final episode of 2018, we're making a slight departure from our typical format. As we wind down the year and prepare to spend more time indoors, we've asked ACLU staff to give you their movie recommendations to make sure you're properly entertained this holiday season. Happy viewing, and we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming in 2019.
Dec 20, 2018•16 min
As homelessness steadily rises in America, so too does the willingness of state and local governments to use criminal laws against their homeless residents. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court found that laws making it illegal to sleep in public violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment when they're used against individuals without access to shelter. Maria Foscarinis, the founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty...
Dec 13, 2018•26 min
Almost 250 years after the adoption of the Declaration of the Independence, debates about founding principles like equality, rights, and representation are as fraught as ever. Jill Lepore, a Harvard history professor and New Yorker staff writer, discusses her latest book, “These Truths,” an ambitious exploration of the evolution of our nation from its earliest days.
Dec 06, 2018•29 min
The state of transgender equality is in rapid flux in state legislatures, in federal law, in the courts and at the ballot box. Progress is consistently met with backlash. In the past midterm election, Massachusetts voters staved off an effort to dismantle legal protection for trans individuals in public spaces. Yet the Supreme Court is poised to reconsider legal victories won by trans plaintiffs in the federal courts, and Trump's White House seeks to exclude trans people from the military and fr...
Nov 29, 2018•31 min
In recent weeks, hundreds of Amazon employees have spoken out to oppose the company marketing its facial recognition software for use by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They join a chorus of voices — both in the tech world and outside of it — who are concerned about the use of artificial intelligence by law enforcement. We’re replaying a recent episode on the impact of A.I. on our civil liberties, featuring Meredith Whittaker of the AI Now Institute.
Nov 21, 2018•22 min
Florida seems perpetually to be at the center of the national conversation and news cycle. The current recount to determine the results of Florida's Senate and gubernatorial races is just the latest in a series of high-profile elections and attention-grabbing cases in the Sunshine State. This week’s guest, Howard Simon, has had a front row seat to it all as the executive director of the ACLU of Florida for over 20 years. We’re asking Howard for his insights into a state that reflects a lot of th...
Nov 15, 2018•31 min
The midterm elections made a lot of news, but one result particularly stands out: Florida's vote on Amendment 4. In a historic change, Floridians voted to amend their state constitution to restore voting rights to most people convicted of felonies once they've completed their full sentences. It sailed over the 60 percent threshold it needed to pass. The passage of Amendment 4 marks the largest single expansion of voting rights since the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18 in 1971. In a s...
Nov 07, 2018•27 min
With the midterm elections only a few days away, voting rights advocates have been working furiously to ensure that the result will be the product of a free and fair election where everyone eligible to vote is able to do so. Dale Ho, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, discusses the state of the vote in 2018 and the biggest challenges and opportunities for voting rights this election season.
Nov 01, 2018•33 min
One year ago this month, the first bombshell allegations against Harvey Weinstein appeared in The New York Times and The New Yorker. Shortly thereafter, #MeToo went viral on social media. But the origins of this movement are at least a decade older. They lie with the work of Tarana Burke, a civil rights advocate devoted to fighting sexual harassment and violence. We talk to Tarana and actor and activist Alyssa Milano, whose tweet helped bring #MeToo mainstream.
Oct 25, 2018•30 min
The 2018 midterm elections will determine the fate of governorships nationwide, the party that controls Congress, and the outcome of hugely consequential ballot questions in many states. The stakes are high, including for key civil rights and civil liberties. This week, At Liberty features Faiz Shakir, the ACLU’s national political director, who discusses what we can expect from next month's ballot, and how the ACLU is getting involved.
Oct 18, 2018•31 min
Harvard University is facing a lawsuit alleging that its undergraduate admissions practices unlawfully discriminate against Asian American applicants. This suit is the latest salvo in the legal battle over whether and how schools can consider race as a factor in their admissions process. Jin Hee Lee, senior deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, joins At Liberty to discuss the case. She represents 25 Harvard students and alumni groups who have filed briefs...
Oct 11, 2018•25 min
The nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has turned into a full-blown national drama, amid credible sexual misconduct allegations against him. Late last week, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were both in high school. Kavanaugh denied her claims in a combative and emotional response. The ACLU does not ordinarily oppose or support judicial nominations. However, the day after the Senate hearing, the...
Oct 02, 2018•23 min
More than 2,000 firefighters battling the blaze in California this summer came from inside the state’s prison system. They were part of a national workforce of incarcerated people, paid pennies per hour and sometimes nothing at all, for hourly labor benefiting the U.S. economy. Driven in part by demands for better working conditions and wages, incarcerated workers last month began a nationwide prison strike. David Fathi, a longtime prison rights advocate and director of the ACLU National Prison ...
Sep 27, 2018•28 min
America’s response to the 9/11 attacks have dominated our foreign policy, military priorities, and human rights record for 17 years now. Perhaps no place on earth is a better symbol of that response than the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Today, 40 prisoners remain, as does the legacy of torture — in the bodies and minds of many of these men, and in the lingering stain on our legal system. Hina Shamsi, director of the ACLU’s National Security Project, discusses how the “War on Terror” has chang...
Sep 20, 2018•27 min
