Events

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:

The ACLU of Hawai‘i is honored to co-sponsor the 2025 Watada Lecture Series, featuring Dr. Satsuki Ina, the co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity — a grassroots movement that draws on the memory of incarceration to stand against immigrant detention and racial injustice.