Racial Justice

All our issue areas tie into our Racial Justice work, as systemic racial disparities can be found across Montana. With that in mind, the ACLU of Montana is committed to pursuing racial justice in all parts of society, including in the criminal justice system, elections, & in schools and businesses.

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What you need to know

6.6%

Montana population is ~89% white, ~6.5% American Indian, ~5% Hispanic, ~1% Asian or Pacific Islander, ~1% Black, and ~1.5% other

17%

Montanans who are Black, Hispanic, or American Indian are much more likely to be incarcerated than white Montanans

The ACLU of Montana is committed to pursuing racial justice in all parts of society, including in the criminal legal system, elections, and in our schools and businesses. From our public schools where students of color are too often confined to racially isolated, underfunded, and inferior programs, to our criminal legal system that disproportionately targets and incarcerates people of color and criminalizes poverty, to the starkly segregated world of housing, we work in coalition with other ACLU affiliates, civil rights groups, and local advocates to push for a more just and equitable Montana.

Much of our racial justice work connects directly to our Indigenous Justice work.

Additional Resources

The Latest

News & Commentary
A graphic reading Juneteenth: a day to celebrate, a day to activate. The ACLU of Montana logo is in the lower right corner.

Commemorating the long-delayed arrival of freedom this Juneteenth

"They existed. They existed. We can be. Be and be better. For they existed." – Maya Angelou
News & Commentary
A Doctor points to AI biomedical algorithm screen.

Algorithms Are Making Decisions About Health Care, Which May Only Worsen Medical Racism

Unclear regulation and a lack of transparency increase the risk that AI and algorithmic tools that exacerbate racial biases will be used in medical settings.
News & Commentary
Delegates, arrayed in an expanding circle of desks, attend the 50th session of the Human Rights Council, at the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

UN Racial Justice Review Gives Biden Opportunity to Center International Human Rights

The administration claimed significant progress in its report and presentation to the United Nations, but true progress has been sluggish.
News & Commentary
W.R. Dorsey Groceries-Hay-Grain 900 8th Avenue in Helena [Walter Dorsey with his 2 daughters in doorway] Photograph by Edward Reinig ca. 1899-1929 MHS Photo Archives, PAc 74-104.266 GP

Recognizing Juneteenth in Montana

The ACLU of Montana reemphasizes the importance of celebrating, elevating, and empowering Black Montanans.
Court Case
Jun 13, 1986

Windy Boy v. Big Horn County

Court Case
Feb 01, 2000

Castro v. Billings Police Department

Court Case
Jul 07, 1999

Alden v. Board of County Commissioners of Rosebud County

Court Case
Jul 07, 1999

Matt v. Ronan School District, 30, Lake County