Download - ACLU of Northern California

Community Engagement
A New Hub for Civil Liberties in the Central Valley
Few people know that the Central Valley, which produces many of the fruits
and vegetables consumed in America, is also one of the poorest areas of the
country, home to four of the nation’s ten largest metropolitan areas with the
worst poverty levels.
On just about any indicator of inequality or civil liberties, the Central Valley
faces great challenges. In response, we’ve been stepping up our community
engagement efforts in the region. This year saw the opening of ACLU-
NC’s first office and the hiring of our first staff in the Central Valley. One
of these staffers, Pam Whalen, has engaged community residents to press
county officials to put money into treatment and rehabilitation programs
instead of expanding jails.
The Rubber Meets the Road on the Campaigns for Justice Tour
Executive Director Abdi Soltani and ACLU-NC staffers spent much of Spring
2011 hitting the road for the ACLU-NC’s “Campaigns for Justice” tour. They held
community meetings in 17 cities and visited 12 campuses as part of our Community
and Campus Network outreach. In the fall they visited another dozen
campuses and recruited a diverse range of dynamic student leaders to attend
the ACLU of California’s first-ever Social Justice Conference for college leaders,
which took place in January 2012.
Training the Trainers, Far and Wide
Demand for our “Know Your Rights” trainings continue to be high—so
much so that we’re now working on “training the trainers” so we can fulfill
more requests. We have trained 150 Spanish speakers to conduct "Know
Your Rights" presentations in California. We also answered the call when the
ACLU of Alabama asked for help in presenting Spanish-language “KYR” trainings
in response to the state’s passage of an Arizona-style anti-immigrant
law. ACLU-NC staffer Daniel Galindo packed his bags and spent 10 busy days
helping our colleagues empower Alabama’s immigrant community. Among
the results: the creation of the first committee for immigrant rights in Alabama’s
Baldwin County, made up of community members, business owners,
and clergy. ¡Si se puede!
miACLU
ACLU-NC is also leading the
way online, with the 2011
launch of the ACLU’s first-ever
dedicated Spanish-language
website. With the participation
ACLU California affiliates
and the National office,
“miACLU” showcases our spirited defense of civil liberties across all areas.
As rapid demographic shifts powerfully reshape the cultural and political
landscape of California and the nation, we expect that Spanish-speaking
and bilingual immigrants and their supporters will be a key audience seeking
information and advocacy opportunities about the many civil liberties
issues that affect us all. We’ve already documented a noticeable “bump”
when ACLU-NC staffers discuss our issues on Univision and in other Spanish-language
outlets, and we expect interest to surge further in 2012
when the Supreme Court issues its widely anticipated ruling on SB1070,
Arizona’s anti-immigrant law.
At right, two images from the ACLU-NC 2011 Campaigns for Justice tour (top),
and volunteer organizers working with the ACLU-NC.
bottom row Photos by Laura Saponara.
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