The ACLU of Nebraska aims to preserve and extend constitutionally guaranteed rights to people who have historically been denied their rights on the basis of race.
The authors of the Declaration of Independence outlined a bold vision for America: a nation in which all people would be free and equal. More than two hundred years later, it has yet to be achieved. Though generations of civil rights activism have led to important gains in legal, political, social, employment, educational, and other spheres, the forced removal of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of those of African descent marked the beginnings of a system of racial injustice from which our country has yet to break free. From our public schools where students of color are too often confined to racially isolated, underfunded, and inferior programs, to our criminal justice system that disproportionately targets and incarcerates people of color and criminalizes poverty, to the starkly segregated world of housing, the dream of full equality remains an elusive one.
In pursuit of a world free of discrimination and a Nebraska that is true to the state motto of “Equality Before the Law,” the ACLU of Nebraska works in coalition with other civil rights groups and advocates in Nebraska to lobby in local and state legislature and support grassroots movements. Through these efforts, we strive to educate and empower the public on a variety of issues, including how race relates to criminal justice, economic justice, immigration, and inequality in education; affirmative action; and American Indian rights.
What You Need To Know
59%
In 2019, 59 percent of the students expelled from Lincoln Public Schools were students of color, though they make up just 33 percent of enrollment, according to district data.
50%
In Douglas County, Black Nebraskans make up 11.5% of the population, but 50% of the pretrial population – Nebraskans presumed innocent but unable to afford bail to go home.
54.2¢
A Latina woman earns only 54.2¢ for every dollar a White, non-Hispanic man makes for a full-time, year-round job in Nebraska.
