What an incredibly important book. As a high school social studies teacher this book has been invaluable to supplement my coursework. But as a citizen of the country it is so much more important. our country has made a lot of strides, but there is still so much more that needs to be done. But also it is important to note that the victories made need to supported and protected.

Democracy, If We Can Keep It The ACLU’s 100-Year Fight for Rights in America by Ellis Close is a fantastic resource for understanding some of the American Civil Liberties Union’s most important and influential cases and the impact on society. As a U.S. Government teacher, I appreciate how the book is easy to understand without too much legal jargon and emphasizes the importance of these cases without sounding exaggerated or over the top. I’ve made references to this book in class and encourage students to also read the book for a great context of rights we have, and sometimes take for granted.

The ACLU is one of those institutions that people hear about but have no idea what they do or how they came to be. This author does a brilliant job of filling the reader in on the rich and important history and how important the ACLU is in ensuring that we always have the freedom of speech, especially in these turbulent times. This is a must read!

Thanks to NetGalley and The New Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I rarely quit books, but unfortunately I had to make an exception for this one. I wanted to like this book, as I was really interested in the premise and I wanted to learn more about some of the ACLU's landmark cases. However, the organization of this book just completely did me in. The sections and chapters are extremely long, so you feel like you're not making any progress, and the book literally reads like a textbook. The author spends a ton of time on diving into people and their backstories at the expense of developing any sort of momentum. This book has a lot of potential but unfortunately didn't deliver.

Review posted on Goodreads on June 29, 2020.

In 2016 my husband was one of a million people who donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) as a reaction to the election of Donald J. Trump. He told me he didn't always agree with them, such as supporting hate groups rights to free speech, but he did believe in their mission of protecting civil liberties.

I had read about Ruth Ginsberg's work with the ACLU in Conversations with RBG. I wanted to know more about the history and legacy of the ACLU.

Democracy, If We Can Keep It by Ellis Cose was often fascinating, especially when dealing with the landmark cases, but some places I speed read.

Throughout American history, the federal government has enacted laws that reflected popular anxiety but threatened civil rights. As this history shows, the limiting of civil liberties has not been relegated to one time or one side of the political spectrum. Democracy is an ongoing experiment.

The ACLU has continually developed and honed its mission in response to a changing world. Its history is a history of America and the continual fight for the freedom of speech and dissent.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.