Speaking Freely With the ACLU-PA ACLU of Pennsylvania

Historically, America’s public schools have been spaces where debates and resistance to civil liberties have played out. From racial integration to political protests, protecting the rights of students has been central to the story of constitutional rights.

The times we’re in now are no different. In this episode, we hear from three advocates who have been helping people organize to support inclusive education in their schools - Alex Domingos of ACLU-PA, Ashli Giles-Perkins of the Education Law Center, and Ronna Dewey of Red Wine and Blue PA. The organizations are part of a new coalition called Pennsylvanians for Welcoming and Inclusive Schools, or PAWInS. Ashli, Ronna, and Alex talk about why the coalition came together and what you can do if you feel moved to advocate for inclusive education at your school district.

Learn more about PAWInS at www.pawins.org.

In episode 83, we’re introducing our new executive director, Mike Lee. Mike joined ACLU-PA in January after serving for six years in the administration of Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner. In this conversation, Mike talks about what brought him to this moment leading the ACLU of Pennsylvania, his vision for the organization, and our priorities for 2024.

In February, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro announced that he would continue the moratorium on executions started by his predecessor, Tom Wolf. Shapiro also went a step further than Wolf, calling on the legislature to repeal the death penalty in its entirety.


Marc Bookman is the executive director of the Atlantic Center for Capital Representation, a former attorney in the homicide unit of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, and the author of A Descending Spiral: Exposing the Death Penalty in 12 Essays. In this conversation, Marc explains just how dysfunctional capital punishment is in Pennsylvania and why, despite two decades since the last execution, the death penalty is very real in the commonwealth.


Resources:
Atlantic Center for Capital Representation: https://www.atlanticcenter.org/


A Descending Spiral: Exposing the Death Penalty in 12 Essays: https://thenewpress.com/books/descending-spiral

Libraries are a critical institution for supporting the freedom to read and freedom of thought. In the United States, libraries have been terribly underfunded for years, and now they’re being targeted by extremist activists for fulfilling their fundamental mission - to promote access to ideas.

Library Freedom Project is challenging that and working to maintain the library’s place in our democratic society. In this episode, we hear from Alison Macrina, director of Library Freedom Project, which works to protect “information democracy.”

Resources

Library Freedom Project: https://libraryfreedom.org/

Pennsylvania’s 2023 primary election is right around the corner, on May 16, and with the delivery of mail and absentee ballots, voting is already underway. So the time is right to hear from Marian Schneider, ACLU-PA’s senior policy counsel for voting rights, and Khalif Ali, formerly of Common Cause PA and now with the New Pennsylvania Project. Marian and Khalif talk about the state of democracy, what challenges we’re facing in protecting the vote, and what opportunities may arise with changes in power at the state capitol.

Resources
Know your voting rights: www.aclupa.org/vote
Nonpartisan election protection hotline: 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)
Common Cause PA: www.commoncause.org/pennsylvania
New Pennsylvania Project: www.newpaproject.org

It's 4/20! What was once a day of counter-cultural actions has gone mainstream. But we recognize it, nonetheless, especially since there are still big issues to tackle in cannabis policy, including the fact that upwards of 20,000 people are arrested per year for marijuana possession in Pennsylvania, disproportionately Black Pennsylvanians.

In this episode, we hear from Brian Brown, a cartoonist based in Philadelphia and the creator of the comic strip Legalization Nation, which is a syndicated documentary comic that delves into news stories related to cannabis. In our conversation, Brian talks about his own history as a consumer, including being arrested as a teen; why being a registered medical marijuana patient in Pennsylvania has radicalized him; and how his cartoons make these policy debates accessible for readers.

Brian has written and illustrated several books, including the New York Times best seller Andre the Giant: Life and Legend and Cannabis: The Illegalization of Weed in America, which tells the history of marijuana prohibition.

Find Brian's work online at boxbrown.com and on Twitter and Instagram with the handle [at]boxbrown.