ACLU of Ohio Audio

The ACLU of Ohio held a voting rights tele-town hall meeting on Tuesday, September 27, 2016 as part of National Voter Registration Day. Our town hall meeting was moderated by activist and media personality Basheer Jones, and featured panelists Crystal Bryant, co-director and partner at Cleveland VOTES, and Katrice Williams, policy associate at the ACLU of Ohio. Callers from across  greater Cleveland were able to listen in and learn why protecting the voting rights of individuals with criminal convictions was important for ensuring the integrity of our democracy. For those who were not able to listen in, we are providing a recording of the event. Read Katrice Williams’ blog post on the tele-town hall.

Belle Likover was interviewed on Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at the Max Wohl Civil Liberties Center in Cleveland by staff member Jocelyn Rosnick as part of the ACLU of Ohio’s Oral History Project. Belle has been an advocate for seniors and children for over 50 years.  More broadly, she holds a strong commitment to fairness and justice. She has described the ACLU this way: “I believe in what the ACLU stands for – the preservation of our Bill of Rights. There are many organizations that take on one facet of civil liberties, but the ACLU takes on the whole spectrum.” Belle’s husband Ed was a long-time ACLU leader, and after his death she created a lecture series in his honor. Belle Likover Biography Tikkun Ha’Olam – which means repairing the world in Hebrew –has long been Belle Likover’s guiding principle. Belle Likover unintentionally fell into a career that would lead her to become an advocate for social justice. Born in 1919, Belle Likover was raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania during the Great Depression. She participated in her high school debate team, which played an integral role in developing her speaking and thinking skills. Belle attended The Ohio State University intending to major in chemistry, but after receiving discouraging comments from professors because she was a woman, she switched to psychology. After graduating, Belle, widowed with a 2-year-old daughter, moved to Cleveland in 1945 to work as a research associate in the Institute of Pathology at Western Reserve University School of Medicine. Several years later, the Jewish Community Center (JCC) asked her to work with the elderly on arts and crafts activities. Inspired by her involvement with the JCC, Belle pursued a master’s degree in social work, which catalyzed a long career in working on behalf of the elderly. Belle has been a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging, and has presented testimony on senior needs to congressional, state and county commissions. She created the Coalition to Monitor Medicare Managed Care, among many other accomplishments. Belle had three children with her husband, Ed Likover, who served in many roles with the ACLU Cleveland Chapter. After he died, she created the Ed Likover Memorial Lecture in 1992 to educate community members on civil liberties issues. The lecture series has featured many influential leaders, including Senator Russ Feingold, Drug Police Alliance Executive Director Ethan Nadelman and Piper Kerman, author of the memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. Among her many awards, Belle Likover received the Max and Frieda Davis Tikkun Ha’Olam Award in 2014 from Temple Emanu El for her lifelong dedication to repairing the world. Belle describes her commitment to social change this way: “I don’t wait to be asked to do things. If I see something that needs to be done, I do it or I organize to get it done.”   Read an ACLU blog post about Belle Likover and her husband, Ed Likover. Read a Plain Dealer article about Belle Likover’s life. Read the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging interview with Belle Likover. Read Ed Likover’s biography. http://www.acluohio.org/about/history/tributes/ed-likover

Political conventions often result in massive violations of civil liberties. Past conventions have seen arrests of protesters and innocent bystanders, suppression of political speech, racial profiling, police misconduct, mass surveillance, and interference with travel and association. On June 7, 2016, we gathered to discuss what to expect before, during, and after the RNC. Panelists reviewed how the RNC will affect policing and protesting in Cleveland, as well as ways people can get involved.

Marcia Levine was interviewed on August 7, 2015 in Cleveland Ohio by Kyra Schoonover as part of our Oral History Project. Marcia is a long-time ACLU supporter, having served as board member, vice president, and president of the ACLU Cleveland chapter. She has dedicated her career to supporting a variety of social justice causes, including civil liberties and especially women’s rights.

Max Wohl was interviewed on audiotape June 20, 1995 in Cleveland by Betsy Leis in an effort to document the history of the ACLU in Ohio. Max was an early member of the ACLU Cleveland chapter in the 1950s, and spent decades of his life in service to civil liberties. He was a stalwart backbone of the organization, acting variously as its director, treasurer, litigation coordinator, office manager, and chief fundraiser for many years. Max also served on the state ACLU board of directors. This tribute to Max Wohl has additional background information.  

Judge Jack G. Day was interviewed on audiotape August 18, 1995 in Cleveland by Betsy Leis in an effort to document the history of the ACLU in Ohio. Jack was a founder of the Cleveland and Ohio organizations, and served as a board member and volunteer attorney for decades. His legacy continues through the Ruth and Jack Grant Day Endowment Fund at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, which provides law students with clerkships at the ACLU of Ohio. The ACLU of Ohio has posted a tribute to Jack Day, with additional background information.  

Standing on the Side of Justice Rally – Part 4 of 4

Standing on the Side of Justice Rally – Part 3 of 4

Standing on the Side of Justice Rally – Part 2 of 4

Standing on the Side of Justice Rally – Part 1 of 4

Join U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Connie Schultz as they share their insights and observations on the current state of civil liberties in Ohio and across the country. The post 2013 Ed Likover Memorial Lecture: An Afternoon with Senator Sherrod Brown and Connie Schultz » Cleveland appeared first on ACLU of Ohio.