vol. 63, no. 6
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t five minutes to five on September
Ae - hoping to sneak by reporters'
ews deadlines, Governor Gray
Davis vetoed SB 78 - the "DWB - Driving
While Black or Brown Bill," which would
have required law enforcement agencies
throughout California to collect data
regarding the race and ethnicity of all dri-
vers stopped by the police. The bill (for-
mally "California Traffic Stops Statistics
Act"), authored by Senator Kevin Murray
(D-Los Angeles), overwhelmingly passed
the Assembly 61-16 and the Senate 29-0
two weeks prior to the veto.
"Racial profiling by law enforcement
agencies is a leading civil rights issue of
the 1990's and by vetoing this historic bill
Governor Davis is turning his back on
California's communities of color" said
Michelle Alexander, Director of the ACLU-
NC Racial Justice Project. "For decades,
people of color have been stopped by police
simply because of the color of their skin.
This bill would have been a small, but
important, step in putting an end to racist
police practices throughout the state."
Despite his futile attempt to bury the |
Governor Davis was condemned |
throughout the state and nationally by civil |
rights groups, community leaders, and law |
issue,
enforcement agencies that represent offi-
cers of color.
Ronald Hampton, Executive Director |
of the National Black Police Association, |
representing 35,000 African American offi-
cers nationwide, said, "As working police |
officers we know how destructive the prob- |
lem of racial profiling is to our ability to |
serve our communities. Governor Davis -
had an opportunity to help those of usin |
law enforcement get the attention of our
colleagues in a state with a well-document-
ed history of police misconduct problems.
His veto, unfortunately, only encourages |
those in law enforcement who think they -
can simply ignore this issue. As a police |
officer and as an African American, I can
tell the Governor that this issue is not
going away," Hampton said.
NovEMBER-DECEMBER 1999
Governor Vetoes "DWB"' Bill
ACLU Vows to Keep Up Challenge to Race-Based Police Stops
Bob Stewart, Executive Director of the
National Organization of Black Law
Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) repre-
senting 3,500 high ranking African
American police officials nationwide and a
leader in law enforcement nationally in
crafting and advocating for solutions to
racial profiling problems, described
Governor Davis' veto as "highly unfortu-
nate and out of sync with efforts in other
states across the nation to proactively
address this issue through comprehensive
data collection."
An editorial in the San Francisco
Chronicle noted that though the Governor
called the practice of racial profiling
"abhorrent," he "passed up the chance to
really do something about it....No amount
of rhetoric by the governor can compen-
sate for his rejection of this bill's very mod-
est attempt to get to the truth," the
Chronicle editorial stated.
In his veto message, Governor Davis
tried to take credit for "ordering" the
California Highway Patrol (CHP) to collect
similar data. In fact, the CHP had already |
publicly volunteered to collect this data -_|
following similar moves by state police
agencies in Florida, New Jersey, Michigan,
Oregon and elsewhere.
In addition, Governor Davis' belated
statement encouraging voluntary data col-
lection by law enforcement agencies
comes almost four full months after
President Clinton issued the same chal-
lenge. In fact, 34 California agencies have
already answered the President's chal-
lenge with voluntary data collection pro-
grams, but hundreds of other California
agencies - including those with some of
the most severe police-community rela-
tions problems in the state (Los Angeles,
Riverside) - have stubbornly refused.
"Those agencies who still remain in denial
on this issue are simply not going to
respond to the Governor's timid encour-
agement," said John Crew, Director of the
ACLU-NC Police Practice Project. "That's
why a comprehensive statewide bill was
crucial. His veto amounts to a wink and a
nod' to law enforcement that they don't
have to take this issue seriously."
Crew called it "stunningly disingenu-
ous" that Governor Davis would publicly
claim that requiring statewide data col-
lection on traffic stops would set a "bad
precedent" of the state placing mandates
on local agencies. For decades the state
penal code has required local law enforce-
ment agencies to collect and report a
dizzying array of statistics on various
activities. This bill would have simply
added four new categories of data on traf-
fic enforcement practices for just two
years to a detailed statistical report long- |
published by the state on an annual basis.
"In fact, it is the Governor's veto that is
establishing the horrible precedent," added
Crew. "Governor Davis is sending a mes-
sage to local law enforcement agencies
across the state that the issue of racial
profiling is not important enough for the
state to assert its authority to protect the
civil rights of all Californians against
racist police practices" he said. "Decades
ago, southern sheriffs like Bull Connor
argued that local officials should be left to
voluntarily address any local civil rights
problems on their own. We are stunned
that Governor Davis would be claiming -
Continued on page 2
"Fight Knight."
ACLU Launches Campaign
Against Knight "Defense of
Marriage"' Initiative
Charging that "the Knight Initiative is a `wedge issue,' fanning the flames of homo-
phobia," Jeff Mittman, (r.) Chair of the ACLU-NC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgender Rights Chapter, joined by staff attorney Bob Kim and PFLAG activist
Mitzi Henderson, called on ACLU-NC activists to get involved in the campaign to
Mittman was speaking at a panel at the 1999 ACLU Activists Conference, where ACLU
members learned about the dangerous initiative and signed up for campaign activi-
ties in their local communities. More on the conference on page 3.
UNION MAID
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See Inside: Board of Directors Election See pages 4 and 5 ;
Taking On The Youth Crime Initiative
BY VAN JONES,
Director, ELLA BAKER CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
The ACLU-NC is committed to fighting the Juvenile Justice Initiative slated for the
March 2000 ballot. This dangerous initiative, initiated by former Governor Pete Wilson,
wil put our youth into jail track lives. Here, former ACLU-NC Board Member and youth
advocate Van Jones, provides insight into the detatls and impact of the initiative, provid-
ing crucial information for ACLU activists who are mobilizing to fight this terrifying mea-
sure. After reading this analysis, please sign up to be part of the campaign to stop the
initiative (page 8.)
his is a complex initiative that
[Namen a complex status quo.
Although there is not enough space
to explain all of the hundreds of changes in
California law that this initiative would
mandate, I will try to convey what is at
stake here.
First of all, this is a massive incarceration
measure. Hundreds - even thousands - of
young people will be tried and sentenced as
adults, swelling the state's prison population.
Second, this is a bold-faced power
grab by prosecutors. They are blatantly
attempting to usurp the power and dis-
cretion of judges, greatly increasing
their role and authority. If it passes, we
will effectively be turning loose several
thousand Kenneth Starrs on the state's
children.
Third, the passage of this measure
would result in the de facto destruction of
the juvenile justice system as we know it.
Many of the basic protections for young peo-
ple -that they won't be tried in adult courts,
Governor Vetoes "DWB'"' Bill
Continued from page |
in 1999 - that it sets a `bad precedent'
for the state to require local agencies to
even study a crucial and widespread civil
rights problem."
SB 78 was the only bill on the Governor's
desk this year aimed at addressing police-
community relations problems. Crew asked,
"Tf the Governor would veto this modest bill
in these circumstances where there is
broad, national, bipartisan consensus, is
there any police reform bill he would ever
sign over the objection of his police sup-
porters? This is a fair question for all
Californians to ask - and especially
Californians of color who have long borne
the brunt of police misconduct - in the
wake of the Governor's veto. This is a ques-
tion that Latino and Black voters will
remember at election time."
Governor Davis and his predecessor
Pete Wilson are the only state governors to
veto state legislation aimed at document-
ing the scope of racial profiling. (Wilson
vetoed a similar bill last year.) The
Republican governor of Connecticut and
the Democratic governor of North Carolina
recently signed similar bills. Bills are
pending in several other states.
The ACLU-NC is continuing its
statewide hotline 1-877-DWB- STOP. (The
Spanish language hotline is 1-877-PARA-
LOS, 1-877-727-2567). Since the hotline's
initiation in October 1998, more than 2000
persons have called to report their stories
of race-based police traffic stops. "Now
more than ever," Crew emphasized, "it is
crucial that people of color call 1-877-
DWB-STOP to report suspected incidents
of racial profiling. We will send a strong
message to the Governor and all public
officials that they will not be allowed to
duck this issue."
Ric RocAMoRA
Ray Marshall, Chair of the State Bar
Association, spoke out against law
enforcement's use of race profiling.
Marshall had been stopped and ques-
tioned in his own driveway by the
Oakland police.
By vetoing the bill, Governor Davis
ignored the stated wishes of the President
and U.S. Attorney General that compre-
hensive traffic stop data be collected
nationwide. He also positioned himself on
the opposite side of the issue from both
major Democratic presidential candidates,
Vice President Al Gore (whom Davis has
endorsed) and former Senator Bill Bradley
- both of whom have issued strong public
statements condemning racial profiling.
The bill was supported by the
American Bar Association, the California
Attorney General, U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights, NAACP, and over fifty leading
civil rights organizations in the state.
Minority law enforcement organizations
including the National Black Police
Association, National Latino Peace
Officers Association, and the National
Organization of Black Law Enforcement
Executives also supported the bill.
that they will get a clean record and a fresh
start when they turn 18 - will be gone.
We also need to understand that this
measure is being proposed in a particular
political and social context. With tough
new law after tough new law, shocking
judicial decision after shocking judicial
decision, brand new jail after brand new
jail, the dominoes are falling. This initia-
tive takes us one more stride down the
road toward living in a complete "surveil-
lance security state."
Lest you think I am over-stating my
case, consider the following. If a law were
on the ballot and all it did was let 14 year
olds be tried and sentenced as adults, we
would all be out in the streets screaming.
Or if a law were on the ballot and all it
did was eliminate privacy and confiden-
tiality for young offenders, using mistakes
they made in their early teens to brand
them as criminals for life, we would all be
out in the streets screaming.
Or if a law were on the ballot and all it
did was let the police wiretap the homes
and families of young people whom the
police brand as "gang members," we would
all be out in the streets screaming. Or if a
law were on the ballot and all it did was
reduce felony vandalism from $50,000 to
$400 - so that a youth who spray paints a
glass door or writes his name in wet con-
crete could be convicted of a felony - we
would all be out in the streets screaming.
Or if another law were on the ballot
and all it did was require that we spend
hundreds of millions of dollars locking up
youth, but not a dime working to prevent
youth from committing crimes, we would
all be out in the streets screaming.
This one initiative does all of those
things - and more. That's why we have to
stop it.
In 1995, the Rand Corporation pro-
duced a study, with telling conclusions. It
said, yes, the state could use tough, "Three
Strikes And Youre Out" measures to pre-
No matter what it looks like on television,
all of these jails and prisons aren't being
built to house only Black people. African-
Americans make up only a tiny six percent
of this state's population. We live in a
state where the crime rate is rapidly
falling, but the government is still building
new prisons - literally around-the-clock.
We have to wonder: who is going to fill
these new prison cells?
In the 1800s, the central moral and
political struggle was ending the enslave-
ment of millions of African peoples on
these shores. In the 1900s, the central
moral struggle was the fight to end lynch-
ing and Jim Crow segregation. In the new
century, the defining struggle will be the
fight against the ever-encroaching "prison
industrial complex."
The logic that would have us continue
to trade away basic freedoms and human
rights for a false sense of "public safety"
must be opposed by a renewed commit-
ment to solving our social problems ratio-
nally and in a humane manner. That is the
defining struggle of our time.
And even now, I see reasons for hope.
Back in 1994, conservatives rammed
through anti-immigrant Proposition 187 -
and succeeded in turning many Latinos
and Asians irrevocably against them. Five
years on, the immigrant community is
growing and naturalizing at an unprece-
dented rate - and the majority of that
community clearly recognizes the agenda
of the right wing as dangerous and morally
repugnant. The Latino community espe-
cially is producing new leaders daily in the
struggle against racism and social injus-
tice. The right-wing won the battle on
election day, but it will have to pay a
tremendous cost for years and years to
come.
The same outcome is possible on this
fight. Conservative forces are now crimi-
nalizing a whole generation. Wherever |
go, when young people hear about it, they
If this measure passes, hundreds - even
thousands - of young people will be
tried and sentenced as adults, swelling
the state's prison population.
vent crimes. But that the state could pre-
vent twice as many crimes by spending the
same amount of money on parenting
classes. Or the state could prevent four
times as many crimes, simply by using the
money to give high school students mone-
tary incentives to graduate.
Why aren't we pursuing these kinds of
solutions?
[ think that there is a real danger here
-a danger for every person in this state.
get outraged. They want to get involved,
speak out, fight back - even though many
are too young to vote. This is our opportu-
nity to expose a whole new generation of
Californians to the dangers of this grow-
ing, runaway trend toward a police state. If
we work together with the young people
whose futures are imperiled, then - win or
lose on election day - the new generation
will be in a position to carry on the fight
until justice is finally done.
ACLU News = NovemBer-DecemBeR 1999 = Pace 2
1999 ACLU-NC Activist Conference
"There are more prison guards in California today than there
were prisoners when Jerry Brown was governor."
"The Knight so-called "Definition of Marriage" Initiative would
be a blow to equality and equal protection."
"Racial bias ts pushing the expansion of the prison industry. "
he wooded foothills of West Marin -
[Tne accustomed to the conversa-
tion of quail and the howls of coyotes
- were filled with weighty debates on the
weekend of September 17-19, as ACLU-NC
activists gathered for the 1999 Annual
Conference at the Walker Creek Ranch.
The three plenaries of the conference
focused on the key political issues in the
Rint Chakraborty of the Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee
Rights (1.), Jayashri Srikantiah, staff attorney with the
National ACLU Immigrant Rights Project, and Santa Cruz
Chapter leader Ramon Gomez at the panel on "Fix 96:
Fighting for Immigrant Rights."
state: the Juvenile Justice Initiative and
the Knight Initiative, both of which will be
appear on the March 2000 ballot, and the
campaign to halt law enforcement's prac-
tice of "Driving While Black or Brown."
In addition, a wealth of workshops
allowed activists and experts to exchange
ideas on issues ranging from disability
rights and immigration law to the death
penalty and school vouchers.
The opening plenary, "Fear of Youth:
Pete Wilson's Juvenile Justice Initiative,"
featured William Walker, a fellow with the
ACLU-NC Howard A. Friedman Project,
and Van Jones, Director of Police Watch.
Both are involved in the statewide cam-
paign to defeat the initiative, which is slat-
ed for the March 2000 ballot.
Walker, a student at San Francisco City
College, said that he has been involved in
fighting the criminalization of youth since
Union Matp
Lenny Karpman and Joan Hall of e
Marin Chapter prepared a sumptuous
Jeast for the Welcome Reception.
he was fifteen, starting with a fight against
the youth curfew at the San Francisco
Board of Supervisors. "The Juvenile
Justice Initiative will allow a 14-year old to
be judged as an adult for felonies," Walker
warned. "We are looking at the future of
the next generation: if we want them to be
active in the struggle for their rights, it's
important that we look at the root causes."
"This is a massive incarceration bill
targeting young people," charged Jones.
"It's a power grab for prosecutors - it will
be like unleashing several thousand
Kenneth Starrs on our young people. This
measure virtually destroys the juvenile
| justice system. And it is occurring within
the broader context of `no rules for the
rich, no rights for the poor."
The panel on the Knight Initiative,
also slated for the March 2000 ballot, fea-
tured Jeff Mittman,
Chair of the ACLU-NC
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual,
and Transgender Rights
(LGBT) Chapter,
ACLU-NC staff attor-
ney Bob Kim and Mitzi
Henderson, of PFLAG
(Parents and Friends
2 of Lesbians and Gays).
= "Tf we lose a ballot
e initiative in California,
other states will follow
with similar bills," said
Kim. "The ACLU will be
very active in the cam-
paign to defeat the ini-
'M
ACLU-NC Board member Aundre Herron (1.) and Death
Penalty Focus Executive Director Lance Lindsay are inter-
viewed by KPFA radio about efforts to end capital punishment.
tiative because we are very much against
the State intervening in basic human
rights. Marriage is a personal choice, it's a
decision between two people that should
be respected. Marriage is a fundamental
right."
Kim charged that the initiative "would
be a blow to equality and equal protection,"
and drew the parallel to interracial mar-
riage, which was not sanctified by the
Supreme Court until the 1960's.
A highlight of the Activists Conference
was a presentation by students from the
Howard A. Friedman First Amendment
Project who shared their experiences from
a summer journey "Homelessness: Unplug-
ged." Before speaking about the shelters
and service centers they
visited for homeless
youth in the Bay Area
and Los Angeles, stu-
dents Cindy Downing
and William Walker put
the audience through a
moving exercise: audi-
ence members were
asked to list "five things
that signify home to
you." People read off
their lists: music, pets,
Students (left to right) Sirena Putnam, William Walker, Rachel Aoanan, Chris
UNION MAID
Uyeda, Cindy Downing, Shaffy Moeel, and Saba Moeel spoke about their summer
journey with the Howard A. Friedman First Amendment Project exploring youth
homelessness.
one of those things, then another, and
another. As the lists got shorter, audience
members gasped, and gulped and whis-
pered "Oh no, I can't be without that."
"This is what we learned,' said
Downing gently, "this is how it feels to be
without a home."
The Saturday evening plenary, "Race and
Criminal Justice: Disparate Sentencing and
the War on Drugs," featured Michelle
Alexander, Director of the ACLU-NC
~ Racial Justice Project and investigative
| journalist Gary Webb, author of Dark
| Alliance: The CIA, the Contras and the
Crack Cocaine Explosion.
"Today we are witnessing the disap-
pearance of our black
children," said
Alexander, after read-
ing a parable from a
book by Derrick Bell
about a group of miss-
ing black school stu-
dents. "But we know
where they are going.
They are going into the
Union MaAtp
nation's prisons. In
1980, there were
330,000 prisoners,
today there are 1.7
million people be-
hind bars. While
African Americans
only make up 7% of
the State's popula-
tion, they are over 50% of the prison popu-
lation. Today, three in five African
Americans in California are in the criminal
legal system.
"More than half of the prisons today
were constructed in the last twenty years.
The War on Drugs is the vehicle by which
people of color are being imprisoned.
Union Malp
loved ones, gardens. itei Henderson of PFLAG and ACLU-NC staff attorney Bob
Then the students asked Kim lawnch an attack on the Knight "Defense of Marriage"
us to imagine the loss of Initiative.
Racial bias is pushing the expansion of the
prison industry," Alexander charged.
Webb, who is currently a consultant to
the California Legislature's Task Force on
Government Oversight, spoke about
Operation Pipeline, the federal DEA pro-
gram that has trained thousands of state
police officers how to identify "potential
drug runners." Webb, who authored an
Esquire magazine article on the racial pro-
filing that results from the DEA guidelines,
said that "DWB has become a national
issue because the media has become sensi-
tized to the issue and because of cam-
| paigns like the ACLU's."
The Conference was organized by Field
Representative Lisa Maldonado and the
Conference Planning Committee: Michelle
Welsh, Chair of the Field Committee and
Monterey Chapter; Ramon Gomez, Santa
Cruz Chapter; Ken Russell, Mid-Peninsula
Chapter; Joan Hall, Lenny Karpman,
| Marna Cohen, and Gerry Ellersdorfer of
the Marin Chapter; and Chloe Watts of the
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Rights
Chapter. The Conference Crew was head-
=
: 2
oe: ee)
Author and journalist Gary Webb and ACLU-NC Racial
Justice Project Director Michelle Alexander address race and
criminal justice issues.
ed by Program Assistant Melissa
Schwartz and included David Harris,
Bryan Freeman, Tom Faulds, Molly
Hudgens, Mister Phillips, Judie Ellman,
Regina Meade, Winona Reyes, Nancy
Magidson, Stan Yogi, Jocelyn Wickers and
Richard Rafael.
Maldonado offered special thanks to
Marin Chapter leaders Lenny Karpman
and Joan Hall for hosting the Welcome
Reception, an effort that included creat-
ing outstanding hors d'oeuvres of stuffed
grape leaves, roasted walnut pate, and
figs with rose petal glace. Conference
attendees were also treated to an uproari-
ous evening of comedy from Aundre the
Wonderwoman (also known as ACLU-NC
Board member Aundre Herron) and fel-
low stand-ups Rich Santiago and Charles
Anthony Johnson. Night owls enjoyed
music from the ACLU-NC in-house cham-
ber music duet, the Roving Rebel Band, as
well as from the native night owls of the
Walker Creek Ranch.
ACLU News = NovemBer-DecemBer 1999 = Pace 3
Li-
Board of Directors
ES
fe FICO S|
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO VOTE?
The by-laws of the ACLU of Northern California call for the at-large Directors of the
Board to be elected by the general membership. The general membership are those
members in good standing who have joined or renewed their membership within the
last twelve months.
The label affixed to this issue of the ACLU News indicates on the top line the year and
month when your membership expires.
Ifyou are not eligible to vote, you may choose to renew your membership, and thereby
resume your membership in good standing, at the same time you submit your ballot.
If you share a joint membership, each individual is entitled to vote separately - two
spaces are provided on the ballot.
How ARE CANDIDATES NOMINATED TO RUN FOR
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
The ACLU-NC by-laws permit two methods of nomination. Candidates may be nominat-
ed by the current Board of Directors after consideration of the Nominating Committee's
recommendations. Candidates also may be nominated by petition bearing the signa-
tures of at least fifteen ACLU-NC members in good standing.
VOTING INFORMATION
BALLOT INSTRUCTIONS
Candidates are listed on these pages in alphabetical order. After marking your ballot,
clip it and enclose the ballot and your address label from this issue of the ACLU News in
an envelope. Your address label must be included to ensure voter eligibility. Address the
envelope to:
Board Elections, ACLU of Northern California
1663 Mission Street, Suite 460, San Francisco, CA 94103
If you have a joint membership, you may use both of the columns provided, and each of
the members may vote separately.
If you wish to ensure the confidentiality of your ballot, insert your ballot in a double
envelope with the special mailing label in the outer one. The envelopes will be separat-
ed before the counting of the ballots.
Ballots must be returned to the ACLU by noon on December 10, 1999.
There are ten candidates running to fill ten vacancies on the Board of Directors. You
may vote for up to ten candidates.
For your consideration, we are publishing brief statements submitted by the candidates
for election to the Board of Directors. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order.
Candidate
Statements
Luz Buitrago
am honored to be nominated once again to
be on the ACLU-NC Board of Directors. |
have previously served the ACLU in many dif-
ferent capacities: Chair of the Legislative and
Litigation Committees and as a member of the
Executive Committee. | have recently been
appointed to serve as National Board
Representative.
I am the Executive Director of the Center
on Poverty Law and Economic Opportunity, a
non-profit that works on welfare-related
issues. I am also actively involved in other
civil rights causes. I am deeply committed to
the ACLU's mission of preserving civil liber-
ties and look forward to my continued involve-
ment with the ACLU.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
Scott Burrell
am pleased to accept the nomination for a position with the ACLU Board of
Directors. | am currently serving as a Deputy Public Defender with the City and
County of San Francisco, and as you might imagine, issues of criminal justice are of
particular interest to me. However, I am also deeply interested in issues of civil
rights for people of color and for gay men and women.
I have admired the ACLU's work on behalf of freedom and civil liberty since I was
in high School and I would be honored to be part of the team.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| to have been a member and active participant
_ for the past 20 years, is, in my view, the single
_ most effective and broad force in our country
| engaged in this unending struggle.
| ACLU-NC and have been chair of the National
"all callings. The ACLU, of which I am so proud
Milton Estes
t is my fervent belief that work in the service
of human dignity and justice is the greatest of
I was the first openly gay Chairperson the
Board's lesbian/gay caucus since I was first elect-
ed to that Board three years ago. I am one of ten
National Vice-Presidents, and am also privileged
to be part of the National Fundraising Faculty
and to travel around the country assisting many
affiliates in their development work.
As a physician, I split my professional time
between a private HIV practice and work in the San Francisco jail.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: No
David W. Fermino
tis a pleasure to accept nomination for election to the ACLU-NC Board of Directors. Since
the summer of 1986, when I clerked for the New York office of the ACLU, I have been fasci-
nated with the work of the organization. I've never forgotten the work that I did that summer
and the people with whom I had the opportunity to work. Since 1996 I have been an Assistant
Federal Public Defender, first in Los Angeles as Chief of the Capital Habeas Unit and now in
San Francisco focusing on the defense of federal criminal laws matters.
As a criminal defense lawyer, I have come to respect and admire the work of the ACLU
and I am honored to be part of its future. :
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| INCUMBENT: YES
re ae Oe ee a
Aundre Herron
t is with deep pride that I seek your vote for a
second term. The work of the ACLU is exceed-
ingly important. As we approach the new millen-
nium, we must redouble our efforts to protect civil
liberties and the concomitant civil rights that flow
from them. The old race and class tensions are re-
emerging with new force. We are advancing tech-
nologically, but our social policy is frighteningly
retrograde. We have zero tolerance for those who
are different or who are unable or unwilling to
conform. There is a fine line between freedom
and anarchy and it is the solemn duty of civil lib-
ertarians to assiduously guard that line.
I welcome the chance to enter the fray!
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
Dennis McNally
eing a volunteer for the ACLU over the past
four years has been among the more satisfying
parts of my life. I've served on the Development
Committee, and more recently on the Executive
Committee, and I can only hope that I've given as
well as I've gotten. I once said in jest that "they put
you on the Development Committee when you
aren't a lawyer and don't know anything...", but the
truth is that what we - and all the ACLU - are
learning that Development is actually a fundamen-
tal part of the community organization process.
Instead of feeling like I'm bugging people for dol-
lars, I've developed a pride in how we all can make
a contribution, either in time, money, or both.
In my "real life" I am the publicist for Grateful
Dead Productions, working on a book about the band, and part of the ACLU's jazzhound
subgroup. | am married, with an adult daughter. Thank you for your vote.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
David
Oppenheimer
am honored to be nominated for re-election to
the ACLU-NC Board of Directors. I am a law
professor at Golden Gate University, where |
teach and write about discrimination law, civil
litigation, and civil rights history. 1 also do some
litigation of employment discrimination, disabil-
ity rights, and police brutality cases.
I served on the ACLU-NC Board from 1989-95
and was re-elected in 1997. I currently serve on
the Executive Committee and the Legal
the Bay Area Lawyers' Committee for Civil
Rights, Equal Rights Advocates, and the Society
of American Law Teachers. I write, speak and
debate frequently on behalf of the ACLU on the subject of affirmative action.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
_ political activity as a union leader and as a
- member of a county Commission on the Status
| of Women and through my work in financial
_ services, | am well-suited to be a candidate for
| past decade - including this year - because I
_ know fund raising can make a difference; we
' can secure opportunity in education and
Millicent
Rutherford
have been a member of the ACLU for more
than 40 years and a member of the ACLU
DeSilver Society for much of that time. I have
served on the Development Committee for the
employment for all. Through my academic
training, my experience as an educator, my
| the Board of Directors. My support for the ACLU
_ is vigorous and enduring.
_ School of Information Management and Systems as
_ Future Coalition which raised public policy ques-
_ tions about digital intellectual property proposals
| made in Congress and in some state legislatures.
Committee. | am also a member of the Boards of _
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: YES
AOU Sage
he ACLU is vital to the political health of this
country, and I would be honored to assist in its
endeavors as a member of the Board of Directors.
In my previous service as an at-large member on
the Board from 1992-1998, | worked with the
Development Committee and will gladly do so
again. I was active with the Lesbian and Gay
Rights Chapter from its inception, serving as
chair and as representative to the Board.
I am an attorney in private practice in Oakland,
with an emphasis on representing tenants.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
INCUMBENT: No
Pamela
Samuelson
3 a Professor at the University of California
at Berekeley with a joint appointment in the
well as in the School of Law where | am Co-direc-
tor of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology.
I have written and spoken extensively about the
challenges that new information technologies
pose for traditional legal regimes, especially for
intellectual property law.
I was an organizer of and activist in the Digital
For my work in promoting public interest in high
technology law, I was named a Fellow of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur
Foundation. I am also a public policy Fellow of the Electronic Frontier Foundation and a
Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery. As a member of the ACLU-NC Board, I
hope to be especially active on civil liberties issues arising in cyberspace.
NOMINATED BY: BOARD OF DIRECTORS
| INCUMBENT: YES
Please vote in the squares provided. You may vote for up to ten candidates. Joint members use both squares.
O O LUZ BUITRAGO
O O SCOTT BURRELL
ey @ MIETON ESIES
O O DAVID FERMINO
UO O AUNDRE HERRON
Q OQ DENNIS McNALLY
Q OQ DAVID OPPENHEIMER
Q Q MILLICENT RUTHERFORD
O O ZONA SAGE
GO PAMELA SAMUELSON
Cnt ial Sai
Please clip and send to ACLU-NC Board Elections, 1663 Mission Street, #460, San Francisco, CA 941038.
I
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Loe eee eee eee ee eee eee eee eee eee ee eee eee eee eee
ACLU News =@ Novemsber-DecemBer 1999 = Pace 5
GOVERNOR SIGNS MAjOR GAY RIGHTS BILLS
Paler Shades of Gray
VETOES CRUCIAL CIVIL RIGHTS,
FREE PREss MEASURES
By VALERIE SMALL NAVARRO
ACLU LEGISLATIVE ADVOCATE
the proverbial middle of road? It |
| s Governor Gray Davis governing from
depends on whose road we're traveling.
The road traveled by the Governor seems to
have been paved in campaign contributions.
According to R.E. Graswich, a
Sacramento Bee columnist, Brandy Capik,
the daughter of the head of the prison
guards union, Don Novey, was leaving her -
job as assistant manager at the Rocklin Wal-
Mart to take a job in the Governor's office
assisting with constituent problems. When |
asked whether there might have been a
"political payoff," Michael Bustamante, the
Governor's spokesman, reportedly replied
that he "can't imagine why anyone would
think that."
OTHER "UNIMAGINABLES"'
Republican support but was still vehement-
ly opposed by law enforcement unions. |
Similarly, there was strong Republican sup- |
port for AB 1440 (Migden, D-S.F.),the |
"Media Access to Prisons" measure, but it |
recover attorneys' fees.
too was vetoed.
BILLS SIGNED PROTECTING
AGAINST DISCRIMINATION
BASED ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Before speaking to approximately 1,000
attendees at the Gay and Lesbian
Presidential Dinner in Beverly Hills on
October 2, the Governor announced his sig- |
nature on measures to protect Californians |
from discrimination based on sexual orien-
tation. "These three bills will send a mes-
sage across the country and around the
world that we are determined to unleash
the full potential of the human spirit here |
in California," said the Governor in remarks
prepared for delivery at the dinner.
Every year since her election in 1994,
Assemblymember Shiela Kuehl (D-Encino)
has brought a bill that would prohibit |
harassment and discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation in programs, opportu-
| nities, and activities offered by schools.
| This year she successfully passed and the -
| Governor signed AB 587, a major victory.
As reported elsewhere in the ACLU News, |
the Governor vetoed crucial bills on both |
civil rights and the First Amendment. Davis |
vetoed SB 78 (Murray, D-L.A.) the "Driving |
while Black or Brown" bill, a measure so |
moderate that it garnered substantial |
Davis signed AB 1001 (Villaraigosa, D- |
L.A.) that moves the provision prohibiting
employment discrimination on the basis of
sexual orientation from the Labor Code to
the Civil Code (FEHA) - capping a 20-year |
struggle. The protections currently afforded -
by the Labor Code are less extensive than
those afforded by the Fair Employment and .
Housing Act. For example, there is a 30-day
time limit for filing instead of the one year -
under FEHA and prevailing parties may not -
Governor Vetoes Bill
for Media Access to
Prisoners
n September 7, Governor Gray
O Davis defied the overwhelming
majority of legislators and the
state's news media and vetoed AB 1440,
the bill to restore the right of journalists
to interview specified state prisoners
face to face.
The bill was approved by the state
Legislature by votes of 69-7 in the Assembly
and 28-7 in the Senate. In editorials, the
state's major newspapers had virtually
without exception urged the governor to
sign the measure.
In his message vetoing the measure
by Assembly member Carole Migden and
a bipartisan group of co-sponsors, the
governor said the bill would give journal-
ists "virtually unlimited access" to con-
victed felons.
"Moreover," the governor's message
said, "this bill is inconsistent with the
national trend to reduce, not expand,
rights of prisoners."
"This bill is about journalists' ability to
cover the prisons effectively - especially
at a time when prisons are one of the
largest and fastest-growing expenditures in
the state's budget," said ACLU Legislative
Director Francisco Lobaco.
Peter Sussman of the Society of
Professional Journalists noted that cur-
rently reporters are not allowed use of cam-
eras, tape recorders and sometimes even
pencil and paper - effectively cutting off
television coverage and severely hamper-
ing coverage in all other media.
A bill restricting interviews had been
_ vetoed previously by Governor Pete Wilson,
whose administration had initiated the
interview restrictions as well as an end to
the confidentiality of prisoners' mail to the |
news media. Neither governor nor the
California Department of Corrections had |
ever cited any abuse of interviews that led
to the restrictions. The state had allowed
face-to-face interviews with specified pris-
oners for more than 20 years before the
practice was ended unilaterally in the fall
of 1995 - first informally and later by a
change in regulations.
"By overturning this bill," said Tim
Graham of the Society for Professional
Journalists, "the governor is pandering to
a Department of Corrections that routine-
ly stands in the way of reporters seeking
access to inmates and prisons. Just
weeks ago, the department was sued by a
national garment workers union and two
inmates who were punished for suspicion
of telling the press about major apparent
abuses in a prison factory. The governor
has now defied the Legislature and tacitly
accepted the department's self-defensive
culture of secrecy."
Finally, AB 26
(Migden) creates a
statewide domes- and
tic partnership reg- and
istry for gay and
lesbian couples and
guarantees hospital
visitation rights. In
addition, the measure allows partners of gay
state employees to receive health benefits.
BILLS PENDING AS OF PRESS TIME
The "California Civil Rights Amendments
of 1999," AB 1670 (Kuehl), an omnibus leg-
islative proposal intended to strengthen
the civil rights protections afforded by the
Fair Employment and Housing Act
(FEHA), and other their civil rights
statutes waits for the Governor's approval.
The religious right added this measure to
its "hit list" as a "homosexual" bill.
_ Another key measure, AB 103
(Migden) implementing for the first time a
system of HIV reporting in California based
on the use of a unique identifier (instead of
using an individual's name) to track the
trends of the epidemic still sits on the
Governor's desk. People who fear that
their names will be added to a government
HIV list will be reluctant to be tested and
may be reluctant to participate in partner
notification because they fear their name
may be revealed.
"Unleash[ing] the full potential of the
human spirit" seems to depend on the |.
wealth of humans. and
COSCO HSHOHSHSHSHSHSHSHSHHHSHSHSHHSHSHHHHSHHHHHHHHSHHHHHSHHHHEHEHHHHHHHHHHHSES
Dear Fellow. Cito
(and you uncivil ones as well),
I don't know about y'all, but I'm not"planning to croak any time soon. I'ma
spring chicken of 58 myself, and hope to do my bit to bankrupt Social Security for
future generations. ;
But, as Charlie de Gaulle, that fun guy, once observed, "Rest assured, we shall die
someday." And the way things are going lately, it will probably be before we overcome. In
which case, those of us who are able to leave a little wherewithal to future freedom-fight-
ers need to start thinking where to put the gelt so it will do the most good. I've done this
by becoming a member of the ACLU Foundation's DeStlver Society.
In my life as a freedom-fighter I have endeavored to have a little fun while holding
the Bill of Rights together, with some success (she added modestly). The time we
mooned the Klan was actually quite entertaining. Now as we all know, civil libertarians,
as a group, are not the friskiest crowd around-comes from forever being on the qu? vive
for the sound of jack-booted fascism coming down the pike. On the whole, we tend to be
a sober lot, and we have a lot to be sober about. Personally, I think there might be more
joie de vivre in our ranks if we weren't always out-manned, always out-gunned.
To this end, I have decided to leave a big chunk of my swag-and I've worked fairly
hard for it-to the ACLU Foundation through my will, on the theory that this will not
only help ensure the perpetuation of freedom in this nation, but might also make
future civil libertarians into a famously fun bunch. And even if that doesn't happen, at
least the Bill of Rights won't be nibbled to death by the gotch-eyed, blue-bellied, full-
blooded nincompoops who constantly beset it.
I suppose we could leave our jack to universities or hospitals that will name build-
ings, or at least wings of buildings after us, and do some good at the same time. I sup-
pose, if we have enough dough, we can buy our little chunk of immortality by getting
our name chipped into granite or marble someplace outside a graveyard. Parks are
nice. Schools are good. The relatives can always use more bread, or helping conquer a
disease would be a boon to mankind.
As for me, I'm going to leave my money to freedom. And every time someone on
down the line is irreverent about authority, I'll have my monument. Every time some
kid who was born a nigger, a kike, a wop, a Polack, a gook, a gimp, a fag or just plain
maverick lifts up her head and dares anyone to stop her, I'll have my monument. Every
time they peaceably assemble to petition their government for a redress of a grievance,
I'll be there. Whenever they worship as they please, or not at all, whenever they speak
up and speak out and raise hell, I'll be there. And every time the press, which will prob-
ably be on the Internet by then, takes on some pinhead in the Congress or the county
commission or the biggest employer in town and kicks his ass from hell to breakfast,
you know I'll be there. Now that's immortality.
I don't have any children, so I've decided to claim all the future freedom-fighters
and hell-raisers as my kin. And I hope you'll join me by making sure the ACLU is still
around to defend their right to be a pain in the ass to whatever powers come to be. |
figure freedom and justice beat having your name in marble any day. Besides, if there
is another life after this one, think how much we'll get to laugh watching it all.
Yours for beaucoup de bucks for the toughest freedom-fighters around,
7 20ty WS ise
Molly Ivins
0g you would like to become a member of The DeSilver Society,
please contact Stan Yogi, Director of Planned Giving at the
ACLU-NC Foundation, 415/621-2493, extension 330.
ACLU News = NovemsBer-DEcEMBER 1999 = Pace 6
Fired Fresno Workers File Federal Suit for
n October 1, two dozen Latina and
Os workers filed a federal class
action lawsuit against the owners of a
Fresno manufacturing plant that fired them
because they had failed a company-created
test of their written English skills. The 25
plaintiffs in the case, all former production
workers, speak Spanish, Hmong, Lao, or
Cambodian as their primary languages. They
charge that NIBCO, Inc., the Indiana-based
former owner of the plant, discriminatorily
fired them even though they had all per-
formed their jobs successfully for years, and
despite the fact that the type of English lan-
guage proficiency tested by the company's
examination had no relation whatsoever to
their ability to do their work.
The lawsuit, Rivera, et al., v. NIBCO, Inc.
and R.M. Wade and Co., was filed in U.S.
District Court in Fresno by Language Rights
Project attorneys from the ACLU-NC and the
Employment Law Center. The suit asks the
court to find that the testing requirement is
illegal and to restore all of the plaintiffs to
their former jobs, issue an injunction to pre-
vent future testing, and award monetary
damages, including back pay and compen-
satory and punitive damages. The plant
manufactures irrigation systems.
"NIBCO fired our clients even though
they were more than qualified to do their
jobs. In fact, some of these workers had
been commended for their work perfor-
mance, and in some cases, had been |
employed by the company for as long as _ |
nineteen years," said attorney Donya |
Fernandez of the Employment Law |
Center. "The truth is that NIBCO's new |
management simply did not want limited-
English speaking immigrants on their |
payroll."
"There's absolutely no reason why it |
should suddenly become necessary for us
to know English to keep our jobs," said
plaintiff Martha Rivera. "I worked at the
plant for nine years and did my job well
without being proficient in English. I can't
believe NIBCO really thought that there |
was any justified business reason for this
policy. It makes no sense at all."
LAW PROTECTS WORKERS
"The law protects people with limited
English proficiency in the same way it pro-
tects other minority groups," said ACLU-NC
staff attorney Ed Chen. "Whether you are
black or brown or speak another language,
employers cannot legally single you out on
that basis and fire you with no business jus-
tification."
Under the factory's previous ownership
there was no English requirement because
the work-which includes making compo-
nents for irrigation systems by manually
assembling parts and operating production
machines requires little communication in
any language, let alone English.
"Employers break the laws of this coun-
try when they fire workers just because
they happen not to have an absolute com-
mand of the English language," said
Christopher Ho of the Employment Law
Center. "Unless the type and degree of
English proficiency demanded is exactly
tailored to what the job actually requires,
discrimination of this kind is just as unlaw-
ful as any other violation of an individual's
civil rights."
The complaint alleges that by institut-
ing the testing requirement and carrying
out the terminations, NIBCO violated the
anti-discrimination protections of Title VII
of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 and
the California Fair Employment and
Housing Act. Because the plaintiffs and
class members were singled out for firing
because of their supposed lack of English
proficiency, the testing requirement dis-
criminated against them because of their
national origin and ethnicity. The com-
plaint also names R.M. Wade and Co., a
Portland, Oregon-based firm, which pur-
chased the plant from NIBCO in August.
In March, administrative charges were
brought before the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which
issued right-to-sue notices, permitting
plaintiffs to file suit. Prior to filing suit,
plaintiffs' attorneys proposed a settlement
with NIBCO and Wade in order to avoid liti-
gation; however, NIBCO hastily rejected
this offer, and Wade did not respond.
"T FELT HUMILIATED."
"I felt humiliated and discriminated
against when I was let go after eighteen
years," said former NIBCO employee Alicia
Alvarez. "It has been difficult for me to sup-
port my children."
The purpose of the tests was to identify
limited English employees who would later
be fired. In implementing the testing
regime, NIBCO segregated those employ-
ees who could not pass the exams into an
inferior, specially-created job category.
They were told they could not get raises
and would be subject "lay offs," regardless
of their seniority or job performance. Many
of the demoted employees were reassigned
to more onerous job duties, some requiring
heavy physical exertion. Ultimately, those
in the segregated job category were sys-
tematically fired between late July and late
September of 1998.
"The law protects people with limited
English proficiency in the same way it pro-
tects other minority groups," said attorney Ed
Language Discrimination
Chen of ACLU-NC. "Whether you are black or
brown or speak another language, employers
cannot legally single you out on that basis and
fire you with no business justification.
The Language Rights Project works to
combat language-based discrimination in
the workplace and other sectors of society,
and to ensure equal access to government
services. The Language Rights
Information Line (1-800-864-1664) offers
free legal advice, representation, and
referrals in English, Spanish, Mandarin,
and Cantonese to individuals who believe
they have been subjected to discrimination
based on their language or accent. The
Language Rights Project is a joint project
of the Employment Law Center and the
ACLU-NC. William J. Smith of the Fresno
firm of Richtel and Smith is also represent-
ing the terminated employees.
Settlement in Hmong Family Suit
Brings New Policies for Yuba Sheriff
n October 4, a consent decree was |
filed in U.S. District Court in |
Sacramento in Her v. Yuba
County resulting in a package of new
policies and procedures for the Yuba
County Sheriff's Department. The con-
sent decree, the related settlement
agreement and policy changes were nego-
tiated by the ACLU and private attorneys
on behalf of the family of Vang Her. Ina (c)
federal lawsuit filed in August 1997, the
Her family alleged a series of acts of
police misconduct by deputies in August
and September 1996.
"These packages of reforms should
help prevent police misconduct from
occurring in the future and also help in the
effort to ensure a strong working relation-
ship between the Hmong community and
the Sheriffs Department," said ACLU attor-
ney John Crew. "All law enforcement agen-
cies need to have strong policies
protecting the Fourth Amendment rights
of residents, procedures for identifying
and investigating Hate Crimes, and poli-
cies that clearly protect parental rights."
The settlement package includes:
e Anew department Search and Seizure
General Order aimed at guarding
against abuses of Fourth Amendment
rights in private homes;
e A new Hate Crimes General Order to
ensure that criminal acts of ethnic and
racial hatred will be properly identi-
fied and thoroughly investigated;
e Anew Temporary Custody of Juveniles
General Order spelling out how chil-
dren should be treated by deputies and
ensuring the protection of parental
rights if students are questioned by
deputies while in school;
e A strengthened Personnel Complaint
Procedure General Order to improve
the department's handling of allega-
tions of misconduct;
e The translation into Hmong, Spanish
and Punjabi languages of key forms
and materials on the complaints
process and the right to refuse consent
to searches of private homes;
e An agreement on the part of the cur-
rent Sheriff to continue her problem-
solving meetings with leaders of the
local Hmong community and to, if nec-
essary, agree to later assistance from
the U.S. Justice Department's
Community Relations Service to facili-
tate further discussions.
ACLU News = NovemBer-DecemBeR 1999 = Pace 7
"We are hopeful that this case and the
consent decree we were able to craft with
Yuba County will both help improve the
professionalism of the Sheriff's Depart-
ment and address some of the concerns in
the Hmong community," said attorney
Mark Merin. "By agreeing to a number of
new or strengthened policies and by readi-
ly agreeing to formalize a process of dis-
cussion and mutual problem solving with
the Hmong community, we are hopeful
that the current Sheriff is moving in the
right direction."
The Her family had charged in the fed-
eral lawsuit that Yuba County Sheriff's
deputies had repeatedly violated their
rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth
Amendments while responding to a neigh-
bor's claim that the Her's three-year-old
toddler allegedly fired a b.b. gun. From
August to September 1996, the lawsuit
alleged that the deputies subjected the
family to unlawful searches, at one point
detaining the family - including seven
small children - at the sheriff's station. In
addition, the lawsuit alleged that deputies
interrogated the Her's ten-year-old daugh-
ter in a Sheriff's Department vehicle with-
out her parents' consent. The suit also
charged that the Her children were seized
from their elementary school classes with-
out their parents knowledge or consent.
The incidents occurred and the lawsuit
was filed during the tenure of the prior Yuba
County Sheriff, Gary Tindel. The settlement
was agreed to by the current Sheriff,
Virginia Black, who was elected in June
1998 and took office in January 1999. Hf
legal and educational programs.
Advocates and Defenders of the Bill of Rights
Campaign - which began in mid-October with a Defenders celebration. The
S WCampaign consists of a total of eight weeks of targeted phoning to pre-selected
ACLU members by volunteers in a region-wide effort to raise $100,000 for ACLU -NC's
A. Advocates party on November 9 will mark phase two of the annual Bill of Rights
After more than 15 years, the Bill of Rights Campaign continues to be our most suc-
cessful grassroots fundraising effort. This year, back by popular demand, at each phone
night a guest speaker will provide updates on high profile civil liberties cases and other
"hot topics." In addition, we provide complimentary dinner and all volunteer phoners
receive an Advocates for the Bill of Rights messenger bag in premium black canvas.
Five phone bank nights will be at the ACLU office in San Francisco, from 6pm -
9pm. In December, an additional phone night will be held in San Mateo.
If you would like to participate or, if you would like more information, call Bill
Carpmill at 415/431-8651. Volunteers are needed for the dates below.
November 1999
sSMTWHMT F S
10x00B02 3 4 5 6
7 8 10 11 12 13
14 15 76 17 @8)19 20
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28 29
December 1999
SMT WT F S0x00A7S
2 3 4
5 6 2 and 9 10 11
12 1344) 7 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30 31
Join Us. Everyone welcome. No experience necessary
ACLUN_1981.MODS ACLUN_1981.batch ACLUN_1982 ACLUN_1982.MODS ACLUN_1982.batch ACLUN_1983 ACLUN_1983.MODS ACLUN_1984 ACLUN_1984.MODS ACLUN_1984.batch ACLUN_1985 ACLUN_1985.MODS ACLUN_1985.batch ACLUN_1986 ACLUN_1986.MODS ACLUN_1986.batch ACLUN_1987 ACLUN_1987.MODS ACLUN_1987.batch ACLUN_1988 ACLUN_1988.MODS ACLUN_1988.batch ACLUN_1989 ACLUN_1989.MODS ACLUN_1989.batch ACLUN_1990 ACLUN_1990.MODS ACLUN_1990.batch ACLUN_1991 ACLUN_1991.MODS ACLUN_1991.batch ACLUN_1992 ACLUN_1992.MODS ACLUN_1992.batch ACLUN_1993 ACLUN_1993.MODS ACLUN_1993.batch ACLUN_1994 ACLUN_1994.MODS ACLUN_1994.batch ACLUN_1995 ACLUN_1995.MODS ACLUN_1995.batch ACLUN_1996 ACLUN_1996.MODS ACLUN_1996.batch ACLUN_1997 ACLUN_1997.MODS ACLUN_1997.batch ACLUN_1998 ACLUN_1998.MODS ACLUN_1998.batch ACLUN_1999 ACLUN_1999.MODS ACLUN_1999.batch ACLUN_ladd ACLUN_ladd.MODS add-tei.sh create-bags.sh create-manuscript-bags.sh create-manuscript-batch.sh fits.log San Mateo .
oe
SOR"
By Davip Harris
aha Jorjani has a unique perspec-
Ree As an activist, she is passionate
about immigrant rights and human
rights. As a senior at U.C. Berkeley, her
thesis on identity issues of Iranian immi-
grants in San Francisco is borne out of her
own family's experience. And as the
youngest member of the ACLU-NC Board of
Directors and an at-large member of the
Field Committee, she brings impressive
political savvy and practical experience to
the Northern California affiliate.
"Tm still trying to figure out what role I
can play as a Board Member," Jorjani said
at an interview with the ACLU News during
the ACLU Annual Conference at Walker
Creek Ranch in Marin. "School is still my
central focus. But I'm grateful to the ACLU
for providing an outlet for youth activism
and the organization's focus on reaching
out to young people. Young people don't
always get a lot of credit."
In the summer of 1997, Jorjani traveled
with the Howard A. Friedman First
Amendment Education Project to explore
the issue of immigration. Project Director
Nancy Otto praised Jorjani's leadership role
on the trip and follow-up activities. "Raha
quickly rose to a leadership position in our
Student Advisory Committee, but she did it
in sucha subtle and wonderful way that oth-
er students just gravitated toward her and
learned by her example. She was an engag-
ing and powerful speaker in the schools and
at the conferences where she led workshops
of more than 50 to 100 of her peers on com-
plicated and controversial civil liberties
issues, staying on topic and keeping every-
one's interest. She is an outstanding
activist, and a great example of how young
people can come to the ACLU and become
powerful advocates for civil liberties."
Jorjani also attended the National
ACLU Biennial Conference in San Diego
last June where she met delegates from all
ACLU affiliates. The People of Color Caucus
stood out for Jorjani as one of the most
interesting parts of the event: addressing
race and ethnicity issues is at the forefront
of her own social and political agenda.
"Tm thinking about going into law as a
career, and I'd like to combine civil liber-
ties and human rights, perhaps by focusing
on immigrant and refugee law," says
Jorjani, who has also worked as a research
assistant for a San Francisco-based immi-
aT
3
Se ST SSE
Chapter Meetings (c)
(Chapter meetings are open to all interested members.
Contact the Chapter activist listed for your area.)
B-A-R-K (Berkeley-Albany-Richmond-Ken-
sington) Chapter Meeting: (Usually first
Wednesday) For more information, time and address of
meetings, contact Diana Wellum at 510/841-2069.
Chico Chapter /f you are a member in the
Chico/Redding area, please contact Steven Post-Jeyes at
415/345-1449.
Fresno Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth
Tuesday). Please join our newly-reorganized Chapter!
Meetings are held at 7:00 PM at the Fresno Center for
Non-Violence. For more information, call Bob Hirth
209/225-6223 (days).
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights
Chapter For more information, contact Lisa Maldonado
415/621-2493.
Marin County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third
Monday) Meet at 7:30 p.m. at the Marin Senior
_ David HARRIS
Raha Jorjani
gration attorney. "All Americans, regard-
less of their racial and ethnic background
or immigration status, are entitled to their
constitutional rights."
Immigration has always been an
important for Jorjani. When she was a
child, her parents immigrated from Iran
to the Bay Area. "You give up a lot," she
said. You lose the social networks that
you come from. There's a lot of uncertain-
ty in that transition."
When the pro-Democracy student
movements in Iran demonstrated earlier
this year, Jorjani organized and educated
her Cal classmates about the importance
of student solidarity. She wrote articles for
the Daily Californian and posted flyers
around campus. Jorjani, a double major in
Ethnic Studies and Peace and Conflict
Studies, was also involved in the student
protests against Berkeley administrators
bent on gutting the university's Ethnic
Studies Department last spring.
Jorjani tries hard to balance her time as
an ACLU Board Member with her other
activism. She's on the Legal Committee of
the student-based Third World Liberation
Front, a member of the San Francisco-
based Women's Institute for Leadership
Development (W.I.L.D.), and serving a sec-
ond term on the Youth Advisory Board of the
Young Girl's Program, which sponsors edu-
cational workshops for high school girls.
"I think immigrant rights and racial jus-
tice will always be important to me. As a
Board member and a Field Committee mem-
ber, I'm excited to be part of the ACLU's
grassroots efforts on racism, the death
penalty and other priority issues," Jorjani
said. "The Activist Conference is a great way |
to learn about key civil liberties issues." Hf
David Harris is a contributor to the
ACLU News.
Se SY
Coordinating Council, "Whistlestop Wheels," Caboose
Room, 930 Tamalpais Ave., San Rafael. For more infor-
mation, contact Coleman Persily at 415/479-1731.
| Mid-Peninsula Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth
| Thursday) Meet at 7:00 PM, at 460 South California
Avenue, Suite 11, Palo Alto. F information, con-
wong, Sue V1, Palo Alto. Formove information car 9915415:
tact Ken Russell at 650/325-8750.
Monterey County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third
Tuesday) Meet at 7:15 PM, Monterey Library. For more
information, contact Richard Criley at 408/624-7562.
North Peninsula (San Mateo area) Chapter
Meeting: (Usually third Monday) Meet at 7:30 PM, at
700 Laurel Street, Park Tower Apartments, top floor.
Check-out our web page at: http://members.
aol.com/mpenaclu. For more information, contact Marc
Fagel at 650/579-1789.
Oakland (renamed Paul Robeson Chapter)
Chapter Meeting: (Usually fourth Thursday) For more
informaton contact Stan Brackett: 510/832-1915.
Redwood (Humboldt County) Chapter
Meeting: (Usually every third Tuesday) Meet at
Luzmillo's, 1288 6 Street, Arcata at 7:00 PM. For infor-
Join the Campaigns
Two Dangerous
Initiatives Slated for
March 2000 Ballot
ANTI-YOUTH
The initiative imposes a harsh punitive approach to addressing juvenile crime by
Pt Wilson's Youth/Juvenile Crime Initiative, will put our youth into jail-track lives.
incarcerating many more juveniles for longer periods of time. The initiative, which
makes hundreds of changes in California law, contains many failed proposals of former
Governor Wilson that were rejected by the Legislature in prior years. If passed, this initia-
tive will fill our prisons with youthful offenders, some placed alongside adult convicts, and
will make it nearly impossible for youthful offenders to rehabilitate.
ANTI-GAY
Pete Knight would make it legally impossible for any couple other than a man and a
ik so-called Defense of Marriage or Knight intitiative spearheaded by State Senator
woman to marry in California. This initiative is a "wedge" issue that will be used to
codify anti-gay measures. In states with similar legislation on the books, courts and policy-
makers have relied on such laws to deny adoptions by lesbian or gay parents, to defeat anti-
defeated similar bills five times.
_ discrimination measures for lesbians and gay men, and even to justify the elimination of
| protections provided by anti-hate crimes laws. The California Assembly has already
WATCH OUR WEBSITE FOR
DEVELOPMENTS: WWW.ACLUNC.ORG
You Can Help Stop These Initiatives!
Telephone: 415 621-2498, Address:
mation on upcoming meeting dates and times, please
call 707/444-6595.
Sacramento Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually
first Wednesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Java City in
Sutter Galleria (between 29 and 30, J and K Streets) in
Sacramento. For more information, contact David Miller
San Francisco Chapter Meeting: (Third Tuesday)
Meet at 6:45 PM at the ACLU-NC Office, 1663 Mission
Street, Suite #460, San Francisco. Call the Chapter
Hotline (979-6699) for further details.
Santa Clara Valley Chapter Meeting: (Usually
first Tuesday) Meet at 7:00 PM at the Peace Center,
48 S. 7th St., San Jose, CA. For further chapter infor-
mation contact Dan Costello at 408/287-6403.
Santa Cruz County Chapter Meeting: (Usually
third Monday) Meet at 7:15 PM. For more information,
contact Dianne Vaillancourt at 408/454-0112.
Sonoma County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third
Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM at the Peace and Justice
Center, 540 Pacific Avenue, Santa Rosa. Call Judith
Volkart at 415/899-3044 for more information.
Lisa Maldonado, ACLU-NC Field Representative, Email (lisam@aclunc.org),
American Civil Liberties Union of Northern
California, 1663 Mission Street, Suite 460, San Francisco, CA 94103
es a a aor CR ae ge Nee Bea peor eR RES PS 1
| CHECK AS MANY AS YOU WISH
1 1
Yes, I want to help defeat the Anti-Youth Initiative
(1 Yes, I want to help defeat the Anti-Gay Initiative
(c) I'll work wherever you need me against either/both of these dangerous measures.
Name 1
1 Address
City State Zip
Your telephone and/orEmail
: Send to or contact: 1
L
NT See 2 EE
Yolo County Chapter Meeting: (Usually third
| Tuesday) Meet at 7:30 PM, 2505 5th Street #154,
Davis. For more information, call Natalie Wormeli at
530/756-1900 or Dick Livingston at 530/753-
7055.
Chapters Reorganizing
If you are interested in reviving the Mt. Diablo
Chapter, please contact Field Representative Lisa
Maldonado at 415/621-2493.
Field Action Meetings
(All meetings except those noted will be held at the
ACLU-NC Office, 1663 Mission Street, 460, San
Francisco.)
Student Outreach Committee: Meet to plan out-
reach activities. For more information, contact Nancy
Otto at 415/621-2493.
Student Advisory Committee: For more informa-
tion, contact Nancy Otto at 415/621-2493.
ACLU News = NovemsBer-DecemBer 1999 = Pace 8S