Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation

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Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation

From the Constitution, which initially counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person, to Supreme Court rulings upholding segregation and Jim Crow, to redlining and mass incarceration, the legal system has played a central role in the oppression of Black people and other people of color, fueling ongoing racial inequality.

ACS is committed to the work of truth, racial healing, and transformation at all levels of the U.S. legal system so that all communities can thrive.

Through our diverse nationwide network, we support efforts to develop a full and accurate historical record of the laws and legal systems that have upheld racial inequality across our country, redress the ongoing impacts of unjust laws and practices, and reimagine a legal system grounded in racial equality and justice.

Statements and Publications

Expert Forum

Law and the Movement for Reparations

Mar 12, 2024

This article first appeared in print in Reparations Daily(ish) Volume 102 When you think about slavery, Jim Crow, and other forms of anti-Black oppression, a few familiar villains probably come to mind—you might think of brutal overseers whipping Black people on plantations, cruel auctioneers ripping families apart, or sadistic police setting dogs on Black protesters. […]

Expert Forum

Acknowledging Error: How State AGs Can Address Historic Injustice

Feb 27, 2023

This is the third piece in a month-long blog series that celebrates Black History Month. Many lawyers may be unfamiliar with a source of law that nonetheless plays an important role in how their governments function: state Attorney General opinions. In most states, the Attorney General has a duty to give formal legal opinions, on […]

ACS Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission Tracking Project

As part of ACS’s Notice and Comment Project, we are tracking state and local Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation and Reparations commissions across the country. ACS volunteers help identify new commissions are they are announced and then track meetings and opportunities for the public to participate in the commission process. Public participation in these commissions is an important part of our democratic system and our goal is to expand access to this information and participation within the ACS network.