BRENDA JONES TAKES OVER EASTERN MISSOURI'S ACLU OFFICE
St. Louis, October 28, 2004: The American Civil Liberties Union Of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM) announced today that Brenda Jones has officially taken over the reigns of the St. Louis-based civil liberties organization. Jones was hired as Executive Director in September following an extensive nationwide search.
Jones, a native of St. Louis, most recently served as Communications Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden. She also in the past served as Executive Director of the Missouri African American Cultural Initiative, Community Relations Manager for the St. Louis Symphony, and Associate Information Secretary of the American Friends Service Committee (Philadelphia National Office). In each of these positions, Jones worked successfully to broaden the organizations' bases of constituents. She has also worked with many other cultural, social service, and community-based organizations in several cities in the United States addressing civil rights, women's rights, poverty, and other issues.
Jones says that she has long believed in the ACLU's work and feels she is coming into leadership at a critical juncture. In the aftermath of 9/11 and in the midst of continuing debates about how to achieve national security, people of every background are experiencing violations of their constitutional rights. The ACLU of Eastern Missouri receives more than one hundred calls each week from people who believe their rights have been violated and don't know where else to go for help. These people are reporting unreasonable searches of their homes and persons, violations of due process, denials of free speech, of assembly, and of other rights. The calls come from people of all races and income brackets, from students, professionals, homeless persons, and others. Never before has the ACLU been so necessary. I look forward to working with my colleagues and with a wide variety of groups and individual citizens to enforce and preserve the Bill of Rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) defends civil liberties and the principles of equality and justice. The ACLU of Eastern Missouri, based in St. Louis, is an affiliate of the national organization.