Events

The ACLU of D.C. is joining the “Seven Days in D.C.: Democracy in Action Week” to empower community members to exercise their rights. As part of this program, we will be providing a “Know Your Rights” presentation. Peggy Ramin, Policy Counsel, will lead the presentation on how to exercise your rights when interacting with police or law enforcement-- during protests, civil disobedience, or in the streets. Attendance is free and open to the public. Learn more: http://www.7daysindc.com/#schedule

Don’t miss the final screening in our Blacklisted summer film series, featuring Three Brave Men. This 1956 film is based on true local events, telling the story of Greenbelt, MD native Abraham Chasanow, a government employee accused of communist ties. The screening will be followed by a talkback with CJM's Director of Curatorial Affairs, Sarah Leavitt and the ACLU of District of Columbia's Legal Director, Scott Michelman. Presented in partnership with the ACLU of District of Columbia. Popcorn for sale. 1h 28m. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Dr. Sarah Leavitt is the Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Capital Jewish Museum. She holds an MA in Museum Studies and a PhD in American Studies from Brown University and has worked in museums for over 30 years. Since moving to the DC area in 2000, she has worked at the museum of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda and for 13 years at the National Building Museum in DC. Her previous exhibitions have covered a range of subjects: from women’s sports, to the history of the parking garage, to the border wall between the US and Mexico. Sarah’s publications include several books and articles; some of her favorites cover the history of the pregnancy test, America’s first successful water-powered cotton spinning mill, St. Elizabeths mental health hospital, and the history of domestic advice manuals. Sarah is a member of Temple Shalom, and lives in Silver Spring, MD. Scott Michelman is Legal Director for the ACLU of the District of Columbia. Scott has litigated a broad range of civil rights and civil liberties issues, including access to the courts, disablity rights, discrimination and selective enforcement, freedom of speech and press, habeas corpus, immigrants’ rights, judicial secrecy, LGBTQ+ rights, police misconduct, political protest, post-September 11 abuse of executive power, prisoners' rights, privacy rights, religious freedom, reproductive freedom, the rights of medical marijuana patients, sentencing law, and unreasonable search and seizure. He has additionally litigated cases about class action law, consumers’ rights, and workers’ rights. Scott is also Shikes Fellow on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights and Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches Civil Rights Litigation. He has previously taught as clinical or adjunct faculty at American University Washington College of Law, Santa Clara Law School, Seton Hall Law School, and the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is the author of the law school textbook Civil Rights Enforcement (2d ed. 2023, Aspen).