Cross-posted from freespeechforpeople.org.

A coalition of national advocacy groups representing millions of people issued a statement castigating the U.S. Senate for voting to acquit President Trump.  Led by Free Speech For People, the statement is co-signed by: By the People, Center for Popular Democracy, Common Defense, Equal Justice Society, Greenpeace USA, Progressive Democrats of America, Revolving Door Project, and Women’s March.

The statement urges the House of Representatives to take immediate action by 1) Subpoenaing John Bolton, Mick Mulvaney, and any other witnesses or documents previously contested by the White House—and litigate those subpoenas up to the U.S. Supreme Court, if necessary; 2) Re-open the impeachment inquiry to consider the full panoply of Trump’s misconduct, as detailed in the “Impeachment For The People” document in November 2019; 3) Create and staff a new standing committee in the House for the defense of free and fair elections.

Read…

The ACLU of Northern California this week launched GoldChainsCA.org, a website that exposes the hidden history of slavery in California. The site is part of a collaboration between ACLU of Northern California, Equal Justice Society, KQED, and Laura Atkins.

California has a reputation as the “Golden State” of opportunity, promise, innovation, and resistance. But the inconvenient truth that may surprise–and shock–many of us is that the state’s founding went hand in hand with policies that sanctioned slavery and genocide.

Gold Chains: The Hidden History of Slavery in California uncovers chapters of California’s hidden history. This unique project lifts up the voices of courageous African American and Native American individuals who challenged their brutal treatment and demanded their civil rights.

Gold Chains debunks California’s unblemished brand as exclusively progressive, correcting it with facts of a history mired in racism, white supremacy, and violence. The stories on the website are told through…

From Left to Right: Yoana Tchoukleva, Chris Bridges, Lisa Holder, Assemblymember Sydney Kamlager-Dove, and Kimberly Papillon.

In June 2018, Elizabeth J. Cabraser provided a generous gift allowing the Equal Justice Society to reactivate its Judge Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellowship. Ms. Cabraser, who funded the 2001 conference that led to the founding of EJS, pledged to fund the fellowship for five years.

EJS established the Judge Constance Baker Motley Civil Rights Fellowship in 2006 to nurture the talents of a new generation of progressive lawyers to transform anti-discrimination law and policy. Judge Motley (September 14, 1921-September 28, 2005) was the first African American woman to serve on the federal bench and the first African American woman to serve as chief judge.

EJS selected Yoana Tchoukleva (formerly “Ioana”) as its 2018-2020 Motley Fellow. Yoana is an attorney, restorative justice practitioner, and organizer devoted to community-led initiatives for justice. She is…