Though generations of civil rights activism have led to important gains in legal, political, social, employment, educational and other spheres, the forced removal of indigenous peoples and the enslavement of those of African descent marked the beginnings of a system of racial injustice from which our nation has yet to break free.
While the law provides equal opportunity in theory, it is too often denied in fact. The ACLU aims to preserve and extend constitutionally guaranteed rights to people who have historically been denied their rights on the basis of race or ethnicity.
