In WSLR interview, Bacardi Jackson says we are living ‘in a time of fear’.
By Johannes Werner
Original Air Date: August 7, 2024
Host: The Simon era is over at Florida’s oldest freedom-of-speech advocacy organization. A few weeks ago, after 21 years at the helm of the ACLU Florida – the last one as interim executive director – Howard Simon passed the baton to Bacardi Jackson. Jackson is the daughter of civil rights activists and a mother of three, and she comes to Florida at a time when spaces of free speech are rapidly closing. During a visit to the radio station in Sarasota yesterday, Jackson and Simon talked to WSLR News Director Johannes Werner about the ACLU’s priorities, and how the 40-employee organization will go about them.
Bacardi Jackson: For me, it is as basic as: Before anything, I am a mother of three and I want to leave my children with a state and a nation that is freer than the one that I live in now. I have had a number of years of experience in fighting for greater civil rights and civil liberties in our state, but I’ve also just had a lifetime of that. That same battle, and sadly, I feel like I’m often fighting the same battle that my parents fought. And I do feel a great sense of responsibility to deliver something else to the next generation. And so we are in a place that is, or was for me, unfathomable that we would have a state where we see government intrusion into the right to read, the right to learn, the right for parents to make private medical decisions, the right for pregnant people to make private medical decisions. It has been absolutely terrifying to see us normalize things that we can affiliate with authoritarian regimes.
Promotional material announcing Jackson’s new role in the Florida ACLU.
Johannes Werner: That’s Bacardi Jackson’s assessment of the situation she and the ACLU are facing in Florida.
The challenge is so big, the ACLU has no other way but to expand and broaden its activities. Part of what makes this possible is to work with organizations that are already engaged.
BJ: So we’re taking a look at what is already being handled by sister organizations and people who are already activated on the ground. And what we can do is come into those spaces where we know resources are missing, where we know people, either because they don’t have the organizational strength or because they might be fearful. We are living in a time of great fear where people are afraid to say things out loud. We were just talking with some neighbors, here who were talking about, you know, they have to say in hushed tones their political beliefs or be careful about what conversations they have. That’s the reality on the ground. So we know it also limits people’s ability to organize. And so we are trying our best to be in those spaces and protecting the freedom of speech that we hold so dear.
JW: The ACLU is known as fighting most of its battles in court. But Jackson will make sure the focus is broad. Education and full-blown campaigning will be playing an increasingly important role under her leadership. The fight about Amendment 4, is an example.
BJ: Right now, our very top priority already is getting Amendment four passed and getting our community to understand the critical role that we play in the landscape for access to medical care for pregnant people. We know that we are surrounded by states that have near a total bans on abortion. We and Florida are facing a near-total ban, which is even shorter than the name of the six-week ban suggested. It’s really more like two weeks. When you look at how the legislation is drawn, it is it is not something that we can take lightly. We are putting our boots on the ground focused on this issue. Our legal team is in the forefront of the of the cases and the litigation. To try to get this in front of the Supreme Court, we have seen the governor, and the state take every action it can to confuse voters to create, language on the ballot that will have people voting against what they actually want to vote. So we are trying to get this message out about the importance of yes on four. So some of it is just really boots on the ground and we are knocking on doors. We’re trying to knock on hundreds of thousands of doors as part of the broader campaign of, Floridians protecting freedom. we are also calling people. We are texting people. We are using every means that is available to us social media, as well as as paid media advertising. So all of those are part of the strategies to do that outreach.
JW: It’s like an election campaign.
BJ: It’s exactly like that. It is it is exactly an election campaign.
JW: Howard Simon adds that cooperation with other organizations is key in the Amendment 4 campaign.
Howard Simon: This one is a little bit different because this one, we’re part of a big overarching campaign. So we’re going to be speaking, using our resources through this campaign, assisting in the campaign, and it will be less likely that you’ll hear the voice of the ACLU and you’ll hear the voice of a bigger coalition supporting Amendment Four.
JW: Young people will play a key role in the Florida ACLU, if you ask Jackson.
BK: We are so excited about the voices of young people. I am the daughter of civil rights activist and one of whom very much understood the the strategy of of young people being at the forefront of any movement. You know, people have the time, they have the energy, and they have the vision and they are leaders right now, not in the future. And so, we are so excited about welcoming young people into all of the areas of our work. We have internships where we have young people plugged in, but we also are building out college clubs. We are very hopeful that there young people who are listening, who would like to start college clubs. We want to hear from you. we think this is the conversation that should be happening on college campuses. Young people are the most impacted people of some of these policies.
JW: Johannes Werner, reporting for WSLR News.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.