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JOIN US ON A HUDDLE:
Every month, in an effort to mobilize and empower activists across the southland, the ACLU SoCal hosts We Keep Us Safe, a monthly virtual huddle for activists and organizers to discuss how community members can better keep each other safe.
On Tuesday, October 28, we’ll explore what collective safety looks like in the arts, entertainment and our personal expression. In this culture-packed edition of our We Keep Us Safe series, we’ll learn about a recent victory against Huntington Beach’s attempt to ban books at its library and connect with trans and gender-nonconforming organizers and artists who dare to exist authentically as themselves at a time when the administration is hell-bent in undermining the progress and power of LGBTQ+ people in the U.S.
Past Events:
We Keep Us Safe | Back to School Edition - September 2025
On Tuesday, September 23rd, we gathered to ask: what does collective safety look like in the face of an encroaching police state? Together, we shared strategies and actions to confront the rise of militarized federal agents, the violence against our immigrant communities, and the racist legacy of police stops—while organizing for the dignity and safety of all.
Poet Yesika Salgado (@yesikastarr) opened the huddle with a poem and conversation about her dreams for Los Angeles. A two-time National Poetry Slam finalist and the recipient of the 2020 International Latino Book Award in Poetry, Yesika Salgado is a beloved Los Angeles-born Salvadoran poet who writes about her family, her culture, her city, and her fat body. We’re thrilled she joined us on this vital September huddle.
We Keep Us Safe | Back to School Edition - August 2025
On Tuesday, Aug. 12, we focused on student safety in today’s political climate. In the Back to School edition, ACLU advocates and more explored inclusion and freedom of expression in California schools, students' rights, and the laws that protect LGBTQ+ and immigrant youth.
Activist, content creator, Youth Against Hate coalition founder and ACLU SoCal Youth Liberty Squad alum, Millie Liao, joined us to share why digital activism matters today and inspire organizers to activate and own their civic power using platforms like YouTube and social media. Millie studies the effects of social media on human behavior at Yale and shares her life as a student with over 300k YouTube subscribers. Her experiences as a young activist with the ACLU SoCal motivated her movement work, and we’re grateful our first We Keep Us Safe event as our special guest next week.