News & Commentary

As I watched Spies of Mississippi by Dawn Porter, I am struck by that odd feeling of déjà vu. While the focus of the documentary is the Sovereignty Commission, it plumbs truer to capturing the modus operandi of a powerful segment of Mississippi: when confronted with uncomfortable cultural issues of the day (any day), the Mississippi legislature comes through with legislation that puts us on the wrong side of history.

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.”

This is my last day at the ACLU of Mississippi, and it is a bittersweet moment for me. Working at the ACLU has been an amazing opportunity to be part of systemic change and at the same time impact individual lives.

Sadly, throughout our history, religion has been used to discriminate against African-Americans and other racial minorities. Mississippians still face such shameful discrimination. Bills like SB 2681 says to those who seek to discriminate based on race that they can use their religion as justification. This is not just theory. Religion used to oppose interracial relationships During the Civ

We are a city, a state and a nation in mourning right now. We grieve for the all-too-soon passing of our visionary leader in Jackson, MS, Mayor Chokwe Lumumba.

Mississippi Legislators are once again playing politics with women’ lives and intruding into women’s private, medical decisions. Presuming that they know better than a woman and her doctor, legislators are considering a new ban on abortions after 20 weeks.

By ACLU of Mississippi Youth Advocacy Coordinator, Constance Gordon

By ACLU of Mississippi Board Member, Laura Martin