A reminder of how important you are (plus some gifts from us).

You and The ACLU's 2021 in Review
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ACLU Supporter,

From the insurrection at the Capitol, to an exhausting Supreme Court term and congressional budget talks, to the ongoing pandemic – 2021 was a lot.

But one really solid part in all of it – at least for us – was you. Despite all the challenges, your dedication to the fight as an ACLU supporter made a tangible difference this year, both on the ground in your region and nationally.

So we wanted to use this email to show you that – not to ignore the fight ahead of us, but to remind you how important you are within it. Here's just some of the good you made happen in 2021:

You and your fellow ACLU activists took 1,344,400 actions for voting rights, abortion access, racial justice, and more.

All year, you contacted your reps, demanded action from President Biden, even pressured a few key CEOs and corporations – to ensure the rights of all people were being protected:

* ACLU community members like you sent Congress 104,770+ messages about securing abortion access for all, 92,140+ messages on protecting voting rights, and 44,990+ messages to end qualified immunity in policing.

* While Biden received 83,140+ demands to repair the harms inflicted on immigrant families separated at the border, 78,410+ signatures urging accurate IDs for trans, non-binary, and intersex people in LGBTQ rights, and 57,980+ messages in support of clemency for those on home confinement in the work to confront our unjust prison system.

That's just to name a few, ACLU Supporter – and all of it has led to real progress.

Strengthened by your activism, our litigation, advocacy, and organizing work resulted in:

* 66 wins in legal cases across the country from state trial courts to Supreme Court, since March

* Advocates at the White House + Congress + Statehouses defending civil liberties in policy and legislation at every level

* Over 700,000 volunteers mobilized as part of ACLU's grassroots People Power network

On the national stage – with your support – that means we were able to fight some of the most urgent challenges to civil liberties that this year had to offer:

* We secured wins at the Supreme Court including for LGBTQ equality and for students' rights to free speech outside of school – even to say, "Fuck school, fuck softball, fuck cheer, fuck everything."

* On Capitol Hill, our advocates helped move legislative efforts forward, including for a historic vote to move H.R. 40, a commission to study reparations, out of the House Judiciary – and the Women's Health Protection Act and abortion access passing in the House.

* Our legal and policy teams also helped gain victories from the Biden administration – from the first issuing of "X" gender markers on U.S. passports to the FDA repealing medically unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone, used for abortion and miscarriage care.

* The ACLU both launched and advanced key priorities – from postal banking to reparations to student debt – for our Systemic Equality agenda. A multi-year effort seeking to dismantle the deeply racist policies woven into our country that directly harm, Black, Indigenous, and other people of color.

Meanwhile, our work in the states – with affiliates in all 50, D.C., and Puerto Rico led to:

* 5 legal challenges filed against anti-trans laws in state legislatures this year – and 20 bans and restrictions on abortion blocked amidst a slew of bills aimed at stripping access to this essential healthcare away.

* Lawsuits against Ohio, South Carolina, and Alabama to fight unfair maps and racial gerrymandering during the once-in-a-decade redistricting cycle happening now.

* Our teams helping to end law enforcement's use of racist face recognition technology in 23 localities – and to secure a first-in-the-nation resolution on public safety that could usher in alternatives to police in Minnesota.

* Significant investments to build Black political power in the South through our Southern Collective – led by 12 Southern ACLU affiliates and aimed at addressing the challenges in the region that are rooted in its unique history of racial oppression.

Of course, that only begins to cover the work we accomplished together this year. And while 2021 isn't quite over yet, we wanted to say thanks for making all of the above and more possible – by gifting you a few small things to enjoy over the holidays:

* Join over 29,390 people and counting on a deep dive into race, policing, and divestment by taking our first-ever email course, Racism in Policing (launched this year).
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* Get your podcast on with ACLU's At Liberty – and start with the latest episode recapping our very best interviews and biggest stories from 2021.
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* And finally, have a moment of nostalgia with us as we go over who made our naughty or nice list – or rather our, "anti-civil liberties and pro-civil liberties" list – this year. Check it out on our latest video up on YouTube.com now.
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ACLU Supporter, we know this year was another long one. We know the work ahead can feel long, too. But we hope this all reminds you that tangible, positive change is, and will continue to be, achievable.

Thank you again for sticking with us – now, in 2022, and beyond.

Always,

The ACLU Team

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