LI: Civil Rights Day - A Look at the Contemporary State of Civil Rights in the U.S.

The NYCLU’s Nassau County Chapter invites you to join us in marking Civil Rights Day on Feb. 8 with a morning of discussion at Hofstra University.

All Sessions are scheduled for the Leo Guthart Cultural Center Theater at Hofstra University, 123 Hofstra University, Hempstead, and are free and open to all.
 

9:05am - 11:05am

Protesting and the Police: Know Your Rights
A two-part “Know your Rights” workshop presented by the NYCLU.

Presented by Samantha Fredrickson, Nassau Chapter Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union
 

Part I: Free Speech, Protests and the Police
9:05am - 10:00am

Part I of the workshop will focus on the First Amendment rights to freedom of speech, press and assembly. The workshop will empower students to know their rights when attending protests on public streets and sidewalks. It will offer practical guidance on legal issues students may face when trying to arrange a protest, such as the permit process and various town restrictions throughout Nassau County, as well as special issues student journalists face when reporting on protests. We will also go over some recent examples of clashes between protestors, reporters and police and the proper to way to talk to police during protests.

Part II: Police, Unlawful Stops and Racial Profiling
10:10am - 11:05am

Part II of the workshop will go further into the legal issues that arise when dealing with police officers in a variety of settings. The workshop will focus on the Fourth Amendment right to be free from searches and seizures. Students will learn what their rights are when a police officer stops them on the street, in their car, or at their home and will learn how to respond and talk to police officers. We will also talk about recent controversies such as incidents of racial profiling and the NYPD’s improper use of stop and frisk tactics.
 

11:15am - 12:45pm – Common Hour
Immigrant Rights as Civil Rights: Shifting the Discussion

Hofstra University Cultural Center Theater

One of the primary issues of the 2012 presidential campaign will most certainly be immigration reform. In the spirit of Civil Rights Day, our panel will examine the struggle for immigrant’s rights as a component of a broader campaign for civil rights protections in the U.S.

Speakers:

Samantha Fredrickson, attorney and director of the Nassau County Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union;

Monica Díaz, Community Organizer, the Workplace Project, a Hempstead-based community organization celebrating its 20th year working with Long Island’s immigrant workers;

Ted Hesson, on-line editor of LI WINS, who will examine how the mainstream news media have framed the immigration debate in the past;

Valeria Treves, Executive Director, NICE - New Immigrant Community Empowerment

Moderated by Mario A. Murillo, associate professor, co-director, Center for Civic Engagement

The Center for Civic Engagement of Hofstra University with Hofstra Progressive Students' Union