Dallas, Austin and Houston Are Stops On Statewide Tour
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dotty Griffith, Public Education Director, ACLU Foundation of Texas, (512) 478-7300 x 106 or 923-1909; [email protected]
AUSTIN – When the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded in 1920, the guarantees provided by the Bill of Rights had little practical meaning for ordinary people. Since then, principles of individual freedom, protection against arbitrary government action, separation of church and state, freedom of speech and press, due process of law, equal protection and privacy have pervaded our society and become codified in our laws.
The ACLU of Texas, the state affiliate of the national organization, is proud to host a dramatic pictorial exhibit that chronicles civil rights struggles and the role of the organization in helping make the country’s ideals a reality. The growth of civil liberties in the past 90 years represents one of the most significant developments in American history, and the ACLU has been integral to this process. The ACLU of Texas was founded in 1938.
Visitors will leave this 90th anniversary exhibit with a new understanding and a deeper appreciation of the many ways in which the ACLU has been responsible for helping to bring the freedoms promised in the Bill of Rights to every aspect of their lives, both public and private.
A tour of the exhibit will enhance viewers’ awareness of the phenomenal scope of the ACLU’s work over nine decades, as well as the concrete ways in which the this work has profoundly affected so many individuals.
The exhibit is comprised of 14 panels (seven two-sided displays) and a companion publication that provides a more detailed account of the ACLU’s impact in each theme-focused area.
The exhibit’s first stop is in Dallas on the 8th floor of the downtown J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young St., 75201, through January 3, 2011.
The exhibit will be displayed in Houston at the downtown Central Library, 500 McKinney, 77002, during February 2011. In March of next year, the exhibit will be on display at the Carver Branch of the Austin Public Library, 1161 Angelina St., 78702.
