Upcoming Events
Check the Calendar for opportunities to meet and get involved!
Membership Meeting 3/15/25
Sebastian Martinez
SebastianMartinez, a 2021 graduate of Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, is a
passionate advocate, local youth organizer, LGBTQ+, and a proud son of
Mexican immigrants. Since the age of 15, Sebastian has dedicated himself to
youth organizing, working tirelessly to educate and engage thousands of young
individuals across various battleground states. Most recently working to bridge
inaccessibility to the polls, developing comprehensive civic education programs
across the country, and reaching out to hundreds of thousands of voters.Aconsistent voice within the Sarasota County School Board since the age of 16,
Sebastian advocates fervently for all teachers and students. His advocacy
extends to a range of critical issues, from public education and workers'
rights to addressing Hispanic issues and safeguarding voting rights.Sebastian'svision is clear: He wants to open the door locally and hold it open - to
empower more Gen Z organizers and passionate young individuals to take up
leadership roles within the party and elected offices.
Liberal Libations
Join us on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month
Membership Meeting 5/17/25
Bacardi Jackson
Bacardi Jackson joins the ACLU of Florida as its ExecutiveDirector in May 2024, making history as the first Black woman to lead the
organization. She brings a wealth of experience and a passionate
commitment to justice to the organization. Most recently, she served as
the Deputy Legal Director of the Children’s Rights Practice Group at the
Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), where she led efforts to dismantle the
school-to-prison pipeline and advocate for equitable access to mental health
services and high-quality public education.Withover 20 years of litigation experience, Bacardi is a seasoned trial attorney
who has made her mark in state, federal, and administrative courts. She
previously served as a managing attorney for the Tucker Law Group, a
Black-owned litigation boutique, where she established and managed the firm’s
Florida office. Her diverse clientele included Fortune 100 companies, colleges,
universities, governmental entities, and individuals, whom she represented in
civil rights, employment, catastrophic personal injury, and other complex civil
cases.Bacardi’simpressive academic credentials include a bachelor’s degree in political
science from Stanford University and a law degree from Yale Law School.
Following a prestigious federal clerkship, she practiced at the international
law firm of King & Spalding in Atlanta before joining Morgan, Lewis &
Bockius in Philadelphia. Her early legal career was marked by internships at
several legal services and civil rights organizations, including the SPLC. She
also co-taught an undergraduate law course in Yale’s African and African
American Studies Department with the Honorable Justice Fleming Norcott.Herextensive public service includes working in Congress for U.S. Rep. John
Conyers and U.S. Sen. Harlan Mathews, spearheading national programming on
Voting Rights at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee,
serving as a court advocate in the Manhattan Criminal Court for the Center for
Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services, and developing a transition
program for returning citizens as a New York City Urban Fellow with the NYC
Department of Correction.Bacardihas been recognized with numerous accolades throughout her career. She was the
inaugural recipient of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Distinguished Young
Leader Award and has been recognized as a Florida Super Lawyer from 2020
through 2023. In 2023, Stanford University’s Centers for Equity, Community
& Leadership honored her as a Changemaker, and Legacy magazine named her
one of South Florida’s 25 most influential and prominent Black women in
business and leadership in 2015.
