News & Commentary

In his proclamation establishing Women’s Equality Day in 1973, President Richard Nixon stated: “The struggle for women’s suffrage, however, was only the first step toward full and equal participation of women in our Nation’s life … And yet, much still remains to be done.” Sadly, these words remain true today.

We trust our elected officials to represent us, listen to our feedback, and provide us with information on issues of public importance. In our modern era, public officials use social media to conduct official business, share important information about key issues, and engage with their constituents.

While institutional slavery may have ended in the United States only 154 years ago, African Americans continue to be targeted by systematic racism in our criminal justice system. Jim Crow laws, established in the late 19th and 20th centuries after slavery was abolished to enforce segregation and rac

Important things happen in different ways in this country. But sometimes it is just individuals who will not take no for an answer who propel us forward. Mildred and Richard Loving loved each other, and wanted to be married and to live in Virginia. Happy Loving Day!

Information on the inhumane practice of solitary confinement in state prisons is the Virginia Department of Corrections’ (VDOC) most closely guarded secret, and one that is actually driving people insane.

Regardless of what happens this session, reforms that will make Virginia a more just and fair place are gaining popularity. It is time for policies that eliminate racial disparities, take care of our mentally ill, and promote justice based on the facts of the case - not the size of your wallet.

The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy. It must be treated as irrevocable. Politicians should not be able to use the right to vote to reward or punish people. The right to vote should be treated in the same respect as other fundamental rights in our democracy, such as freedom of religion

Understanding that whole person and understanding her story helps in re-analyzing what is just and fair regarding if a person is in fact criminally-minded and what their punishment should be. Changing the mindset must start here, if we are to truly make an impact.

We live in trying times, a time when it can be hard to bear your own weight, much less take on the weight of another. This is why the ACLU of Virginia is so grateful to all of the participants, members and organizers that came together on a rainy Saturday afternoon to address mass incarceration.