St. Louis, May 21 – Samuel Walker will be the keynote speaker for the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Civil Liberties of Eastern Missouri (ACLU-EM) from 2-4 p.m., Saturday, June 16, at their office, located at 454 Whittier Street, St. Louis, MO 63108. His speech, Obama and Civil Liberties: How Does He Compare?, springs from the pages of his latest book, "Presidents and Civil Liberties from Wilson to Obama: A Story of Poor Custodians,” where Walker examines how civil liberties issues have fared under our 17 most recent presidents.
Walker, an Emeritus Professor of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, holds a Ph.D. in American history from The Ohio State University in 1973 and is the author of 14 books on civil liberties issues, police accountability and criminal justice policy. He wrote the definitive history of the ACLU, “In Defense of American Liberties,” which was first published in 1990. In 2011, he won the Western Society of Criminology’s W.E.B. Dubois Award for his contributions to the field of criminology in the area of race and ethnicity.
“Sam Walker continues to be one of the most insightful and articulate voices for civil liberties in our time,” said Brenda L. Jones, executive director of the ACLU-EM. “I’m delighted to be able to present him to our members and others.”
ACLU-EM members also will have the opportunity to vote for new officers and board members at the annual meeting. Attendance is free and open to the public, but please reserve a seat by calling 314-669-3425, or sending an e-mail to newsletter@aclu-mo.org. Light refreshments will be served.