By: Desire Vincent, Associate Director of Communications

Recently, I visited Alabama with the Faith and Politics Institute for Congressman John Lewis’ Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage. We visited civil rights monuments in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama, before heading to Selma to commemorate Bloody Sunday. As we reflected on the rights that were so bravely fought for on that Sunday decades ago, we recognized that the fight continues on across the country. In Michigan, we’re taking the fight to the ballot and aiming to ensure all can vote. We want to make voting more accessible, secure, and fair for all Michiganders.

Earlier this year, the ACLU of Michigan, along with the NAACP and League of Women Voters, launched the Promote the Vote, a ballot measure campaign that would secure the right to vote for all eligible voters in Michigan. This initiative would amend the state constitution to allow voters to register at any time — up to and including on Election Day; automatically register voters; require post-election audits; expand access to absentee ballots; allow for straight-ticket party voting; and ensure those in the military get their ballots with enough time to vote. Our goal is to put the amendment on the ballot this November.

For too long Michigan has lagged behind other states in knocking down the unnecessary road blocks voters encounter when trying to exercise their right. Working families have to face long lines, travel long distances to their polling place, and take time off work to vote. Military service members overseas aren’t always sure they’re going to get their ballot in time. This needs to change.

We know making it easier to register to vote means more people will vote. In the 15 states that allow people to register up to and on Election Day, voter turnout has increased by an average of about five percent. Automatic voter registration has the potential to do the same.

The policy ensures those eligible to vote will be registered, unless they decline, after any interaction with the secretary of state’s office. This includes getting a driver’s license or a permit. It makes registering to vote more efficient and saves localities from having to process paper registrations. Nine states already have this in place with an additional 15 state considering adopting the policy for this election year.

Michigan makes it hard for individuals who can’t vote on Election Day to vote by absentee ballot. Our Promote the Vote measure would amend this. For a single working mom like Angela Willson of Grosse Pointe Park, easier access to an absentee ballot means she does not have to take off time from her two jobs to vote. Almost 30 states do not require a reason to vote absentee, so this ballot initiative would bring Michigan in line with the majority of the country.

All these updates would make voting more of a sure thing in Michigan, guaranteeing a fair and accessible process. Following in the footsteps of civil rights leaders, we’re continuing their work today. We want every eligible person who can vote to vote, and we want to ensure that every vote will count.

We’re off to a strong start to collecting signatures from Michigan residents to qualify for the November ballot. You can join our effort at Promote the Vote: https://promotethevotemi.com/.

Date

Monday, April 17, 2017 - 2:00pm

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By: Mark Fancher, Racial Justice Staff Attorney

As the world pauses today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,  it occurs to me that many were not around when it happened. He was killed in my home state when I was nine years old, and I vividly recall the pervasive feeling of not just deep sorrow, but utter despair that fell on the all-black world that I lived in at the time.

In those days I paid little attention to world events. Dr. King was on the news nightly and I sort of knew he was a champion for our people. But I did not know the particulars of how profoundly he impacted the course of history. Because she never talked about it, I didn’t even know that my mother had been girlhood friends with King’s wife, Coretta when they both lived in tiny Marion, Alabama. So it made sense that on the night following the assassination when my mother drove me to a destination l have since forgotten, she was visibly heartbroken – as were so many of the adults I encountered. In my innocence, I broke the silence and asked why the killing of this one man had seemingly made the world stop turning. My mother turned and looked at me first with surprise, and then patient understanding. What followed was a concise and heartfelt recounting of the oppression our people had endured, and how this one man had dared to rest on the power of God and his community to try and change it. As she spoke, my mind began to spin wildly and I reflected on the grainy black and white TV images of King suffering at the hands of mobs and the police that I had seen all of my young life. As it occurred to me that he had done all of this for me and children like me, grief hit me like a sledgehammer. Compounding the grief was a sense of hopelessness.

Personally, I felt that if hateful people could kill a man who in temperament, elegant deportment and quiet strength was so much like my own father and most of the other black men I knew, then we were all doomed. It didn’t help that in the days that followed, as cities around the country began to burn, racial tension escalated. On one occasion when my mother was in a small mom and pop grocery store, she overheard a small group of white men in the next aisle making plans to stockpile weapons they could use to defend themselves against the hordes of black rebels they were sure would come their way. As my mother boldly stepped into their view as she made her way to the cash register, the men fell silent. Time has a way of transforming emotional events into historical abstractions.

Fortunately, art has the power to preserve feelings. To get a sense of what it felt like to experience the loss of this great man, I suggest spending some time listening to Nina Simone’s musical tribute and reflections.  (To view the video you will leave aclumich.org)

Date

Wednesday, April 4, 2018 - 1:30pm

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By Britanny Hamama

Tonight, my mom, Nahrain Hamama, is attending the State of the Union in Washington, DC, as a guest of U.S. Congressman Sander Levin.

When my mom told me, I couldn’t believe it. I asked, "The actual State of the Union?” 

I feel so thankful and overwhelmed that my family has not been forgotten, that the heartache and fear we have felt the past seven months matters. 

Learn more about the Hamama family story.

On June 11, 2017, my dad, Sam Hamama along with hundreds of other Iraqi nationals across the country, was arrested without warning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and faced deportation to Iraq where they would likely have been tortured or even killed because he is a Chaldean Christian. 

They were arrested for mistakes they made decades ago. But many, like my dad, already paid their debt to society and have made the most of the second chances they were given. Their homes, families, and lives are rooted here. 

Thankfully, so many people have supported us, like the ACLU, which filed a federal lawsuit, Hamama v. Adducci, to stop the deportations. The ACLU also asked the judge that everyone be released from detention. 

Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith ruled that the detainees will have an opportunity to be released on bond, unless an immigration judge finds clear and convincing evidence that they pose a flight risk or a public safety risk. This Thursday, February 1st, is my dad’s chance. All we ever wanted was a date to look forward to, and now that we have it, I am anxious. I hope that the immigration judge listens and understands the type of life my dad leads and realizes that we need him at home while his immigration case continues in court

I hope the judge sees the dad and man that I know - a man that loves his family deeply, cares about his community, and has worked hard to provide for our family.

Tonight, my mom's presence at the State of the Union will continue to fortify not just us - but every family ripped apart by the June 11 arrests and detention. Her presence will show that we are not forgotten.

I hope our family will be whole again soon. I miss my dad dearly. I know my mom and siblings do too. But when he does return home, our fight is not over. Many are still detained, torn from their families, and once released they—like my Dad—will still need to win in immigration court so that they can stay in America with their families, rather than being deported to face torture or death in Iraq. 

We must continue to tell our stories and let our presence be known at the nation's capital and throughout the country. Our voices matter. Our families matter. We matter. 

"Tonight, my mom's presence at the State of the Union will continue to fortify not just us - but every family ripped apart by the June 11 arrests and detention. Her presence will show that we are not forgotten."

Date

Tuesday, January 30, 2018 - 1:15pm

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