On Juneteenth, we recommit to the fight to abolish slavery in the U.S. in all forms, once and for all  

Last week we released a Juneteenth statement—an excerpt of which is below: 

Juneteenth commemorates the end of chattel slavery 159 years ago, marking the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and enforced the Emancipation Proclamation, which Lincoln had issued two years earlier. Later that year, the U.S. banned slavery by ratifying the 13th Amendment. 

However, the amendment contains a prison slavery loophole that has been used to re-enslave thousands within the state and federal system of mass incarceration, which grew out of chattel slavery. Prison slavery persists to this day: some incarcerated people work for pennies per hour or no pay, under brutal conditions. Black people are more likely to provide slave labor, and some work in former plantation fields.  

In 2022, following a strike by incarcerated workers, Alabama voters extended the ban on slavery to prison. Now imprisoned workers, seeking enforcement of the ban, are suing state officials. This Juneteenth, our client Ranquel Smith reminds us of the words of Frederick Douglass: 

“[Slavery] has been called a great many names, and it will call itself by yet another name; and you and I and all of us had better wait and see what new form this old monster will assume, in what new skin this old snake will come forth next."

We are proud to represent incarcerated workers as they seek to abolish forced prison labor. 

For more info on the lawsuit, Stanley v. Ivey, visit the case page. Read the full Juneteenth statement on our website.

July 15: “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power” — A Freedom Flicks screening in the South 

Freedom Flicks is coming to the South! Join us for a Birmingham, AL screening of Emmy-winning Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power, followed by a discussion with Southern organizers from the 1960s and the present, as well as the film’s producer, about the ongoing and renewed fight to protect the power of civic and community engagement, democracy, and right to vote. 

Date: Monday, July 15, 7–9:30 p.m. 
Location: Sidewalk Cinema, 1821 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35203

The event is free and open to the public, but please register to hold your spot. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m.

For full event information details, including co-sponsors and speakers, view the event page on our website. 

Welcome to our summer 2024 cohort of Ella Baker interns! 

We are excited to welcome the summer 2024 cohort of Ella Baker interns! We are thrilled to have 11 enthusiastic law student interns joining us this summer. They come from a variety of backgrounds and bring passion, energy, and a range of unique skills to the work. 

In 1987, we created the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program to honor the legacy of Ella Baker, a hero of the civil rights movement, and to train the next generation of social justice movement lawyers. Through our program, interns gain practical litigation experience and sharpen their theoretical understanding of the relationship between social change, organizing, and lawyering. 

Final week to double your impact! Donations matched through the end of June  

This is the final week to double the impact of your donation! All gifts made in June will be matched, up to $40,000, by a generous donor.

Because of your support, we partner with organizers leading some of the most important struggles for human rights and toward liberation. We need your financial backing to keep those critical fights going. And thanks to a generous matching donor, you can increase your impact for social justice.

Now is the best time to donate, make your gift today!