News & Commentary

My very first week as a Student Attorney in the Civil Clinic at the University of Nebraska’s College of Law, my professor told me I would be co-leading the Clean Slate Project, a program focused on assisting Nebraskans seek a fresh start and improve employment opportunities by cleaning their criminal record of past convictions, as well as charges that did not result in a conviction. “Oh, and there are a couple bills coming up in the next week or so that we might want to testify in support of,” he nonchalantly added.

Nebraska state senators are considering LB 986, introduced by Senators Pansing Brooks, Hansen and Wayne. The bill would “ban the box” in the higher education admissions process and prevent public colleges and universities from asking about or considering a person’s criminal record for purposes of admission.

Almost five decades ago, the United States Supreme Court affirmed a constitutional right to safe, legal abortion care in the landmark case Roe v. Wade. That right was reaffirmed in 2016 in Whole Women’s Health v. Hellerstedt. A lot has changed since Roe was decided, but one thing hasn’t changed: those who are pregnant need the freedom to make the decisions that are best for themselves and their families and once that deeply personal decision has been made government and politicians need to stop judging and stop interfering with access to abortion care.

The last year was another relentless attack on civil rights and civil liberties. Nevertheless, we persisted, we resisted, and we achieved important progress. These victories belong to you and all Nebraskans. Thank you for being with us as we dare to create a more perfect union.

Voices of Resilience is a powerful video series centering the voices and lived experiences of Nebraskans who have survived solitary confinement in the juvenile justice and adult prison systems, complemented by policymakers’ perspectives.

After the loss of my mother to domestic violence and my childhood to the foster care system, I discovered an escape within fantasy novels.

In addition to fighting for the civil rights and civil liberties of my clients in the courtroom I am also honored to help lead the ACLU of Nebraska as a board member and the organizations Equity and Inclusion Officer who is responsible for leading our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. As part of my volunteer leadership I actively participate in meetings, trainings, and conferences with the ACLU at the state and national levels. I recently attended the ACLU’s Biennial in Boston and shared some of my reflections about the conference with my ACLU family in Nebraska and was asked to share as a blog to spotlight the intersections of disability rights and civil rights. So here goes!

Breastfeeding Rights Are Civil Rights

As a recent graduate of Lincoln High School and engaged student activist, I have been honored to work on many issues to improve my community and my world such as advancing racial justice and advancing gender equity.  My work to reduce the stigma of menstruation was recently profiled in my hometown newspaper the Lincoln Journal Star. The State Director of the ACLU read about my work and asked me to write a blog to share my recent research. So I put together this blog before I head off to American University in D.C. for college next week.