Protests
The materials on this page cover protests and related racial justice social movement activities. Content coverage includes books and articles on protest, dissent, and racial justice, resources relating to know-your-rights for protesting and protest organizing, and websites of relevant organizations.
Books
1. Angela Y. Davis, Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement (2016).
Angela Davis discusses the commonality between some of the largest social movements of the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.
2. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, & Nate Powell, March (2015).
This book recounts the tale of the Civil Rights Movement as told through the eyes of civil rights leader, Sen. John Lewis.
3. Ralph Young, Dissent: The History of an American Idea (2015).
This book tracks the history of dissent as a foundation of American democracy. This book follows how dissent has evolved from the 17th century through the present.
4. Barbara Ransby, Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision (2003).
This is a biography about Ella Baker, a civil rights organizer involved in grassroots leadership.
5. Hank Johnston & Pamela Oliver, Racialized Protest and the State (2022)
In this collection, leading social movement scholars analyze contemporary ethnic and racial movements and protest activities in the United States.
Articles
1. Scott L. Cummings and Ingrid V. Eagly, A Critical Reflection on Law and Organizing, 48 UCLA L. Rev. 443 (2001).
This article describes and critically reflects on a form of lawyering practice termed “law and organizing.” This model for lawyering “privileges movement politics over law reform efforts and suggests that lawyers should facilitate community mobilization rather than practice in the conventional mode.” - Abstract
2. Zahara Hill, 28 Organizations that Empower Black Communities, HuffPost: Black Voices (Feb. 18, 2017).
This article highlights 28 organizations empowering Black communities.
3. Stephanie Osmanski, 25 Anti-Racist Instagram Accounts to Follow for Listening, Learning and Action-Taking, Parade (June 2, 2020).
This article shares popular anti-racist instagram accounts to engage with on social media.
4. Center for Constitutional Rights, Legal Questions to Consider When Planning Civil Disobedience and Protest Activities (last updated November, 2024).
This document contains various categories of questions intended to guide those considering engagement in civil disobedience or protest.
5. Amber Baylor, Unexceptional Protest, 70 UCLA L. Rev. 716 (2023)
This article chronicles how anti-protest legislation is impacting movements for racial and social justice throughout the United States
Websites
1. ACLU WEBSITE—KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: PROTESTERS’ RIGHTS
This page outlines basic rights of protesters including those who
organize protests, attend protests, and are stopped by police at protests. This
page also covers pictures and videos and protests and social media implications.
2. ASIAN AMERICANS ADVANCING JUSTICE--KNOW YOUR RIGHTS RESOURCES
Resources about rights shared by the nation’s largest civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Includes resources about employment rights, immigration, and discrimination.
3. CIVIL LIBERTIES DEFENSE CENTER--KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
A training guide on protesters and activist rights from the Civil Liberties Defense Center, an organization that “provides litigation, education, legal and strategic resources to strengthen and embolden [movement’s] success.”
Blogs
1. NBC NEWS BLOGS--AFTER GEORGE FLOYD
“The latest news on how the death of George Floyd has reverberated around the country” - NBC News
2. BOUNDLESS--PLANNING TO PROTEST? KNOW YOUR RIGHTS AS AN IMMIGRANT
“Everyone living in the United States, including immigrants, has certain constitutional rights. If you are not a U.S. citizen and you want to join a protest” research the issues, and start with this article outlining rights.
Short Videos
1. Vox, The Evolution of American Protest Music, YouTube (May 20, 2017), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLc5QJsMgvw.
This 7-minute video discusses how protest music has evolved, from simpler, repetitive tunes at the country’s founding, to more complex, deeper songs in the Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries.
2. Vox, Protests Aren’t What They Look Like on TV, YouTube (June 5, 2020), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srnA3cNTsXQ.
This 5-minute video explains how news can act as a sort of misinformation, skewing the depiction of protests.
3. National Bar Association, Know Your Rights - Police Encounters, YouTube (May 29, 2020), https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=wjkMVtyGedk&feature=emb_logo.
This 3-minute video provides useful information on police encounters, including police powers and individual rights.
4. Emerson Sykes, Know Your Rights, ACLU (May 29, 2020), https://www.facebook.com/aclu/videos/know-your-rights/923710174735759/.
This 2- minute video provides a shorter introduction to knowing one’s rights. The video was made in context of the current, ongoing protests over the murder of George Floyd and racial injustice.
Organizations
1. CENTER FOR POLICING EQUITY
“As a research and action think tank, Center for Policing Equity (CPE) produces analyses identifying and reducing the causes of racial disparities in law enforcement. Using evidence-based approaches to social justice, we use data to create levers for social, cultural and policy change.” - About Page
2. UNICORN RIOT
“Unicorn Riot is a decentralized, educational 501(c)(3) non-profit media organization of artists and journalists...dedicated to exposing root causes of dynamic social and environmental issues through amplifying stories and exploring sustainable alternatives in today’s globalized world.”
3. THE BAIL PROJECT
“The Bail Project, Inc. is a non-profit organization designed to combat mass incarceration by disrupting the money bail system ‒ one person at a time. They work nationally, including several cities where protests are taking place, including Los Angeles, Louisville, and New York City.”
4. LAW 4 BLACK LIVES
This Black, femme-led organization works to create a community of legal professionals trained in movement lawyering.
5. ACLU--KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: PROTESTERS’ RIGHTS
“The First Amendment protects your right to assemble and express your views through protest. However, police and other government officials are allowed to place certain narrow restrictions on the exercise of speech rights. Make sure you’re prepared by brushing up on your rights before heading out into the streets.” This guidance is available in English and Spanish.
