Dr Nancy O'reilly

This episode features Luz Maria Henriquez, Executive Director of the non-partisan ACLU of Missouri and the first Latinx leader in the organization's history. Luz shares her powerful journey from growing up as the daughter of an undocumented mother to becoming a leader in civil rights advocacy. She reflects on the path to citizenship and the values of community and civic engagement instilled in her as a child and how they shaped her commitment to justice. Through her work with the ACLU of Missouri, Luz often grapples with political challenges yet wins key victories – like the passage of Amendment 3, which restored reproductive rights through grassroots organizing and coalition-building. The conversation explores broader issues of equality and the importance of unified action to address systemic disparities, offering both practical insights and a call to action to join the ACLU to stay informed and remain vigilant to threats against our civil liberties, which is the core of our democracy.