Berkeley ACLU: Tribute to Fred Korematsu

DURING WWII, THE U.S. GOVERNMENT PUT MORE THAN 110,000 PEOPLE IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS BASED ON THEIR RACE. HEAR THE STORY OF ONE MAN WHO REFUSED TO GO. The Berkeley American Civil Liberties Union will be hosting an event honoring Fred Korematsu and his lifelong legal and personal struggle to ensure civil liberties for all Americans. The event will feature the documentary, “Of Civil Wrongs and Rights: The Fred Korematsu Story,” which has previously aired on PBS and was produced and directed by Eric Paul Fournier. Members of the Berkeley ACLU will present Fred Korematsu with a lifetime achievement plaque in recognition of his courage and commitment as a fighter and spokesperson for American civil liberties. Confirmed speakers include Karen Korematsu-Haigh, the daughter of Fred Korematsu; Don Tamaki and Karen Kai, attorneys on the Coram Nobis team who represented Mr. Korematsu in his appeal case forty years after the initial 1944 Supreme Court ruling; Dorothy Ehrlich, executive director of the ACLU-Northern California; and Eric Paul Fournier. The discussion will focus on the parallel between the challenges to civil liberties faced by minority groups during World War Two and in our modern times. The event will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 3rd at 7:00pm on the UC Berkeley campus, in room 2060 of the Valley Life Sciences Building. Admission is free. For more information please contact: ayeh@berkeleyaclu.com.