“Ellis Cose tells the story of the women and men who fought back when political speech became an imprisonable offense, when state and local authorities enabled violent mobs, and when courts ruled against peaceful protests and strikes-offering hard-boiled hope that we can transcend today’s tyranny too.” -Elizabeth Green, co-founder and CEO, Chalkbeat

“Cose’s book is an excellent choice for anyone seeking to understand the ACLU as an organization and for those wanting to explore how the fight for civil liberties has evolved and helped to shape the society we have today.” - Library Journal “There are no easy answers for a democracy in troubled times, but if we are to ‘keep it,’ we surely need the nuance, honesty, intelligence, and memory that this book offers.” -Jerry Kang, inaugural vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion, and distinguished professor of law and Asian American studies, UCLA It’s all here in Ellis Cose’s brisk, compelling, and urgent account of a vital champion of democracy.” -Jonathan Alter, author, His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life “Over the last century, it’s astonishing how closely the history of the ACLU tracks with the history of the United States.

“Ellis Cose’s extraordinary exploration of the ACLU’s century of work is a timely and timeless read for all stewards of social justice.” -Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation “A well-researched chronicle of democratic activism.” - Kirkus Reviews Cose’s narrative begins with World War I and brings us to today, chronicling the ACLU’s role through the horrors of 9/11, the saga of Edward Snowden, and the phenomenon of Donald Trump.Ī chronicle of America’s most difficult ethical quandaries from the Red Scare, the Scottsboro Boys’ trials, Japanese American internment, McCarthyism, and Vietnam, Democracy, If We Can Keep It weaves these accounts into a deeper story of American freedom-one that is profoundly relevant to our present moment. A vivid work of history and journalism, Democracy, If We Can Keep It is not just the definitive story of the ACLU but also an essential account of America’s rediscovery of rights it had granted but long denied. The result is Cose’s groundbreaking Democracy, If We Can Keep It: The ACLU’s 100-Year Fight for Rights in America, the most authoritative account ever of America’s premier defender of civil liberties. As its centennial approached, the organization invited Ellis Cose to become its first ever writer-in-residence, with complete editorial independence.

For a century, the American Civil Liberties Union has fought to keep Americans in touch with the founding values of the Constitution.

If you can keep it