American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina Foundation

Impact litigation: our legal team uses impact litigation to vindicate the various Civil rights and Liberties protected under state and federal law. When policy or practice fails to live up to the values set forth in our constitution, litigation provides an opportunity to right the wrongs experienced by our clients and to reform the systems that caused the harm.we prioritize cases in the areas of voting rights, juvenile justice, free speech, and lgbtq equality. In 2023, we were successful in getting South Carolina's disturbing school laws struck down as unconstitutional, reaffirming that subjecting students to harsh criminal penalties interferes with their future in education and contributes to racial disparities.

Advocacy and organizing: our advocacy team analyzes the impact of proposed and existing legislation on Civil rights and Civil Liberties and looks for opportunities to further our mission through positive policy changes. Then we advocate for good laws and stand in the way of bad policy. When we're advocating, we organize and mobilize activists who lead efforts in local communities and engage in statewide campaigns.in 2023, we successfully stopped state lawmakers from banning healthcare for transgender South carolinians. We conducted a constitutional analysis of the policy, educated trans people and their families about the harm it would cause, and elevated the voices of those who opposed this harmful policy.

Communications and public education: our communications team educates the public about Civil rights and Civil Liberties. We tell the story of South carolinians those whose rights have been violated and those who fight for change. We grow our base of supporters by firing up and energizing people who share our values. And we persuade the public to support our issues.in 2023, in honor of banned books week, we created and released a map showcasing all the books that were challenges in school districts around the state. This map demonstrated the scope of efforts to censor public education and educated activists about what was happening in their communities.