Emma Mclean-Riggs, Part 2: Faith in the Collective

07/11/2025 29 min
Emma Mclean-Riggs, Part 2: Faith in the Collective

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Episode Synopsis


It's Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Emma Mclean-Riggs, Senior Staff Attorney from the ACLU of Colorado, who sits down with Colorado Radio for Justice hosts Tiffany McCoy and Trevor Jones. Emma examines the criminalization of poverty and homelessness in Colorado communities; the ACLU's work of not just improving incarcerated people's lives inside facilities, but striving to liberate them; and an exploration of what exactly "civil liberties" themselves are. Emma highlights the value of media led by lived-experience producers, and she articulates her vision for a more just future that relies on each and every one of us.UNLOCKING CHANGE is a podcast by Colorado Radio for Justice (CRJ). www.radioforjustice.org00:00 Introduction - Camping bans / blanket bans in Boulder09:14 What motivates Emma?09:14 Emma's life journey into law15:08 Colorado incarceration liberatory work17:11 What are 'civil liberties'? 18:25 ACLU's history, values, intersectionality20:58 Support ACLU / Get involved23:21 Vision for future?