Sevier News Messenger Sevier County News and Opinion
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee will host a “Freedom Forum” in Knoxville on Thursday, March 1 on criminal justice reform, voting rights and community activism. Lindsay Kee, ACLU-TN communications director, will lead the discussion and share ACLU’s work and how community members can take action in support of voting rights.
“This has been a landmark year in terms of people publicly taking a stand for justice and equality in the face of unprecedented attacks on our values as Americans,” ACLU-TN Executive Director Hedy Weinberg noted. “This tour is an opportunity for people who want to move Tennessee forward to gather together, learn more about ACLU’s work, and discuss actions that people can take to protect and advance civil liberties and civil rights in our state.”
ACLU-TN’s statewide Freedom Forum series has presented events in Memphis, Jackson and Nashville, with additional conversations scheduled for Chattanooga and Johnson City.
At the forefront of civil liberties battles across Tennessee, ACLU-TN employs a range of strategies including advocacy, education, coalition-building, legislative lobbying and litigation to ensure that Tennesseans’ constitutional rights are being protected. An affiliate of the national ACLU, ACLU-TN is a private, non-profit, non-partisan membership organization.
Two of ACLU-TN’s top priorities are criminal justice reform and voting rights. ACLU-TN’s Smart Justice Campaign focuses on reducing mass incarceration and increasing police accountability. ACLU-TN has also advocated extensively to remove barriers to the ballot box for people with felony convictions who have completed their sentences.
The Knoxville Freedom Forum will take place at the Knox County Public Library, located at 500 W. Church Ave., Knoxville.
The discussion will take place from 6 to 7:15 p.m. It is free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.
More information can be found at http://www.aclu-tn.org/aclu-
