Portfolio 5: Community Experience ("Loving")

Resources Available in the Community

For this portfolio, I chose to watch "Loving" and focus on the role of the ACLU within the Loving v. Virginia case (as encouraged by Dr. Draper). The Loving case revolved around an interracial couple that violated Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws by getting married in Washington D.C. and returning back to their home. They were charged with unlawful cohabitation and jailed. They left Virginia and moved to Washington D.C., but upon returning to Virginia to visit family members, they were arrested for travelling together. They were referred to the ACLU to represent their case in the Supreme Court to go against the institutional racism within the state of Virginia and the United States at large. 

The ACLU's role in Loving v. Virginia: 

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After Mildred wrote a letter to Robert Kennedy asking for help with their case, he referred a lawyer to them from the ACLU. The lawyer contacted the Lovings and told them that he would be able to help them charge-free with their case--which was crucial to the Lovings since they did not have the money to pay for legal help. The lawyer then helped them construct a plan (driving through Virgina and breaking their parole and then helping pay their bail) to have their case brought to the attention of the Supreme Court. Additionally, the ACLU provided them with connections to the press to have the story publicized and brought to public attention in order to strengthen their cause. The ACLU also took on the responsibility of backing them up through the court proceedings and giving them any additional resources that they needed. 

The ACLU in Utah: 

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Just as in "Loving" the ACLU still plays a significant role in America today. The Utah division opened in 1958 and its primary focus is operate through "public education, legal advocacy, litigation, and lobbying at both the state and local levels to ensure the constitutional rights and freedoms of everyone living in or visiting Utah". Additionally, they cover issues that involve: "participatory democracy, racial justice; immigrants' rights; religious liberty and freedom of belief; and privacy and technology". (http://www.acluutah.org/about-us) On the ACLU for Utah's website, they also have a lot resources available to the public, including a section for individuals who need help. In this section, they also have a link that explains what rights an individual is entitled to, a list of resources, and a place to submit a complaint. They also have a Spanish version of the website available to the public as well. 

As a future teacher, I think it is important that I am aware of what resources are available for my students (and their families) if they are faced with injustice. Additionally, there is also the possibility that charges could be brought against me for things that I do on behalf of my students and for the sake of inclusion in the classroom. As I was looking through the history of the ACLU in Utah, I noticed that a few of their cases in recent years have involved the education system in one way or another. For example, one case involved a lawsuit that was brought against gay-supportive student clubs at East High School and another case for the same issue was brought up against high schools in the Washington County School District. There was a case where the ACLU protected a teacher who went against a school's 'gag rule' regarding openness with her sexuality. Another case that the ACLU was involved with was when the Davis School District tried to remove all books with same-sex parents from their school libraries. In those cases, the ACLU protected the rights of schools, students, and teachers. 

Essentially, the ACLU still plays an active role in the promotion and maintaining of the civil rights for all individuals from all walks of life. Although I've never had to consult the ACLU, I think it's important to be aware of the role that they play in our community and the help that they provide to those who need it—especially the disenfranchised.