Whether you are encouraged or frustrated by the current state of our country, certainly a glance at any of your social media feeds will inform you of the rush of social justice awareness. Protests seem to be going on every weekend – even here in Salt Lake City! There are a surprising amount of ways to become involved in the modern day civil right movement. Here is a short list of organizations based in Salt Lake City:
1. Office of Diversity and Human Rights (ODHR)
Our great city has an official office whose primary goals are educating the public on their rights and supporting diversity. Their website covers a wide variety of topics such as our right to safety, sexual violence, and refugee and immigrant policies. Programs like the Human Rights Education Project and the Know Your Neighbor Program are both promoted and run by this office.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ODHRSLC/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/slc_odhr
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slcodhr/?hl=en
2. American Civil Liberties Union of Utah (ACLU)
Formed in 1958, ACLU of Utah informs the public of civil rights issues and of the efforts made to correct them. On their website, you can find legislation in the works, issues at hand, and ways to get involved. Recently, the organization has shown support for immigrants by protesting the recent travel ban, published articles about racial disparities in Utah’s juvenile justice system, and advocated for reproductive rights.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aclu.utah/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acluutah
3. Equality Utah
To increase awareness of the LGBTQA community, Equality Utah discusses issues of hate crime, discrimination, and economic justice. Some of their recent activity has been focused on creating a sense of unity in the community by protesting the recent travel ban. They were also heavily active in the Salt Lake’s Women’s March.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EqualityUtah/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EqualityUtah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equalityutah/?hl=en
The fight for civil rights is a constant battle. Whether or not you agree with what most protesters stand for, it is always a great experience to attend rallies and become involved in informative dialogue.