The Face of White Privilege? ACLU Under Fire After Bowing To Criticism Of Its Use Of An Image Of A White Child In Its Promotional Campaign

jonathanturley

9 years ago

The American Civil Liberties Union is apologizing for featuring the picture of this child at part of is promotional campaign after outraged supporters said that the image rekindled fears of Charlottesville and represented “white privilege.” Rather than stand by a beautiful picture of a child in an ACLU shirt with and American flag, the ACLU effectively confessed to being guilty of white privilege in allowing such an image on its site. I have been lifetime supporter of the work of the ACLU but the organization has been losing its once tight grip on core principles. Members have been demanding that the organization drop its color-blind approach to free speech and refuse to represent some unpopular groups. The ACLU conceded that it would decline to help groups like those in Charlottesville because they were seen with guns — despite the fact that those guns were entirely legal.

The campaign was meant to feature pictures of toddlers in onesies saying “Free Speech” along with the caption: ‘This is the future that ACLU members want.”

The ACLU was immediately attacked for “Nazi propaganda,” “white privilege,” and even insensitivity over Charlottesville.

Temple Professor Nyasha Junior was one of the first to object with

Leftists were furious over the post because they believed it endorsed white supremacy.

Others added their own images:

Given the open deeply disturbing responses to the simple picture of a white child, one would have hoped that the ACLU would have responded unbowed and unequivably by saying that it was the responses and not the picture that were racist. Instead, it actually issued a cringing thank you for a lesson on its white privilege issues:

It is depressing to see that even the ACLU does not feel that it can stand firm against such unhinged and groundless attacks. The organization was founded in 1917 by Crystal Eastman and Roger Nash Baldwin. It has long refused to yield to orthodoxy and majoritarian pressures. It was supported by people across the political spectrum because it did not maintain a political base or represent political viewpoints. The fear is that the current leadership is taking this esteemed organization into a new and more ambiguous direction.

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