News & Commentary
May 19, 2020
Testimony on School Resources Officers
Testimony to the Portland Board of Education by Zachary Heiden, Legal Director, ACLU of Maine
We urge you to reject funding for police officers in Portland schools and put those resources where they are truly needed – into mental health resources for your students who desperately need them.
Jul 30, 2019
The Federal Death Penalty is a Travesty of Justice
The Justice Department announced last week that, after nearly two decades, it would resume executing prisoners on federal death row. The announcement ends a de-facto moratorium on the federal death penalty that has been in place since 2003. Five men are scheduled to be executed by lethal injection in December and January, with additional executions to follow, according to Attorney General William Barr.
Jan 07, 2019
All people with past drug convictions deserve second chance — not just political allies
This piece first appeared on MaineBeacon.com
Dec 06, 2018
Skowhegan’s Chance to Make History
Maine has made significant strides in removing racist Indigenous mascots from its schools. All of the Maine schools with Native mascots – except one – have changed to more culturally and racially sensitive alternatives.
By Makena Bauss
Nov 22, 2018
A Day of Thanksgiving and Mourning
Each year, on the fourth Thursday of November, Americans gather together with neighbors, family and friends to share food and gratitude in remembrance of the “first Thanksgiving” some 400 years ago.
By Makena Bauss
Aug 30, 2018
Federal Data Shows Public Schools Nationwide Are a Hotbed of Racial Injustice
Many students heading back to school are being greeted by more police and metal detectors, but few, if any, counselors — this is especially true for students of color. Beyond having more police officers who could be armed, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos is reportedly considering a plan to allow states to buy guns for teachers using federal funds.
Aug 24, 2018
Celebrate Women’s Suffrage, but Don't Whitewash the Movement's Racism
By Tammy L. Brown, Associate Professor of Black World Studies, History, and Global and Intercultural Studies, Miami University
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