The authors of the Declaration of Independence outlined a bold vision for America: a nation in which there would be equal justice for all. But as initially enacted, the U.S. Constitution failed to meet that goal. Today, despite important gains in legal, political, and other spheres, deep-seated inequities remain woven into the fabric of our institutions — from education and housing to our criminal legal system. The ACLU of RI works to preserve and extend constitutionally guaranteed rights to people who are denied those rights on the basis of race.