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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 […]