November Share the Plate Organization: ACLU of TN

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The Share the Plate organization for November is the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Tennessee. The ACLU is in alignment with our congregation’s mission statement: "We champion justice, equity, and peace", as well as our status as a UUA "Welcoming Congregation." The ACLU states: “We are an enduring guardian of justice, freedom, fairness, and equality, working to protect and advance civil liberties and civil rights for all Tennesseans. We also work to extend rights to individuals and communities who have traditionally been denied their rights, including people of color; lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people; women; mental health patients; prisoners; people with disabilities; and the poor. If the rights of society’s most vulnerable members are denied, everybody’s rights are imperiled."

The ACLU has been a force for justice in the United States since the 1920's when they advocated for Civil Rights. The ACLU is allied in its advocacy for the separation of church and state, with Americans United. In 1948, the ACLU prevailed in the McCollum v. Board of Education case, which challenged public school religious classes taught by clergy paid for from private funds.

In 2018 they are still a prominent force for justice. The ACLU filed a federal lawsuit earlier this year to stop family separation and to require the immediate reunion of all separated children and parents. On June 29, a federal judge issued a national injunction in the class-action lawsuit, requiring the reunification of thousands.

Key Issues for ACLU-Tennessee:

  • Criminal Justice Reform

  • Fair Treatment of Immigrants

  • Freedom of Speech & Expression

  • Gender Equality

  • Government Surveillance

  • LGBT Equality

  • Privacy and Technology

  • Racial Justice

  • Religious Freedom

  • Reproductive Justice

  • Voting Rights

  • Youth & Student Rights

Social JusticeKris Thresher