News & Commentary

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.

Today the ACLU of Nebraska launched a first of its kind website, transNebraska.org, to empower transgender and gender nonconforming Nebraskans to know and understand their rights.

 Holding immigrants for profit is not new, and it fuels mass incarceration. National news outlets are reporting that migrant children are being held at for-profit detention centers for up to $750 per day.1 It may be surprising to know our own Nebraska counties are holding immigrants for profit including at the Dakota County jail. During my recent conversation with the Dakota County Sheriff while touring his jail, I learned profit was one of the reasons he decided to renew the controversial 287(g) agreement with the Department of Homeland Security in June of 2019.When the Sheriff’s decision to enter this misguided agre

Join us for our Annual Meeting & Activist Training Saturday, June 22 from 9 a.m. to noon, to develop your skills as an activist and celebrate our annual award recipients. Location: Center for People in Need, 3901 N. 27th in Lincoln.

Solitary confinement is almost taboo to talk about. No one wants to think about what happens in the secluded areas of our prison system. But various studies have confirmed what some of us already knew: keeping people in solitary is an urgent mental health and public safety issue.

Our findings make it clear that Nebraska schools employing school police must implement training and program requirements in LB390 to protect both students' civil rights and parents' rights. We thank Sen. Patty Pansing Brooks for introducing and prioritizing this critical legislation.