Events

On January 20, the ACLU of Hawai‘i hosted conversation about collective resistance in the face of increasing attacks on our democracy and civil rights. This talk featured Emily Hills, our Senior Staff Attorney, as the main speaker. She tackled questions such as: What can we do to resist the rise of a dictatorship? What must be protected to prevent democratic backsliding? How can we stay safe in a system that increasingly punishes dissent? Links to resources: Training slides The Checklist for Ending Tyranny Breaking Down Pillars of Support for Democratic Backsliding Effective Strategies to Resist Democratic Backsliding

On January 15, 2026, the ACLU of Hawai‘i and the Policing Project at NYU School of Law held a panel discussion on police accountability and building a community-led vision for a safer Hawai‘i. Moderated by Kelly McConney Moore (Policing Project Deputy Director of Legislation), this conversation brought together Wookie Kim (ACLU-HI Legal Director) and Josh Parker (Policing Project Deputy Director of Policy) to share their expertise. Watch a full recording of the panel below:

On January 13, 2026, ACLU National President Deborah Archer gave a talk on racial justice, civil rights, and the inequality of our contemporary justice systems at the William S. Richardson School of Law. The talk was moderated by William S. Richardson School of Law Constitutional Law Professor Nicholas McLean. This event was co-sponsored by Davis Levin First Amendment Conference and WSRSL. Watch a full recording of the panel below:

Together with community partners and allies, the ACLU of Hawai‘i held a community vigil to honor the life of Renée Nicole Good on Friday, January 9 in front of the King Kamehameha Statue at Ali‘iōlani Hale. To read news coverage about the event, see Candlelight vigil honors woman killed by ICE officer in Minnesota.

The O‘ahu Rapid Response Coalition (ORRC) rose from the community to affirm our shared humanity in the face of this oppressive and cruel system that tries to divide us. We are committed to organizing, defending, and caring for one another because no human is illegal on this shared planet.

On December 4, the ACLU of Hawai‘i hosted a Holiday Pau Hana and Policy Team Q&A at the Collection Lofts to commemorate a year of fighting for civil liberties and to share what our affiliate will be fighting for in the upcoming legislative session. The panel and Q&A featured our Policy Team (Mandy Fernandes, Josh Frost, & Kamakani Albano) and was moderated by our Development Director, Jana Light. Special shoutout to our wonderful host Dyms Thomas for booking this space for us!

The ACLU of Hawai‘i and Unite Here! Local 5 co-hosted a conversation with Hardy Merriman about how we should unite to deal with government attacks against workers across the country, including here in Hawai‘i. As democracy in the nation is rapidly backsliding, programs and institutions that once seemed stable are quickly changing and we must figure out where, when, and how to best respond.  

Mahalo nui to all our supporters, event contributors, partner organizations, and to the community at-large for celebrating 60 years of the ACLU of Hawai‘i! Our work to protect the civil liberties of all people across the islands would not be possible without your support of our efforts and your partnership in this collective work to advocate for the peoples and communities we care deeply about. Check out our 60th anniversary video below, where we feature some of our board members and staff sharing about the rich legacy and history of our work over six decades: