By April Frazier Camara, Lori James-Townes and Lisa Monet Wayne; originally published on USAToday.com
Sixty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court's Gideon v. Wainwright decision established one of the most vital components of our justice system by recognizing that people accused of a crime have a Sixth Amendment right to effective legal counsel.
That right protects all of us against the government's power to lock us away, confiscate our possessions and deny us the ability to earn a living.
But six decades after the Gideon decision was handed down, the promise of that ruling – America's promise – remains unfulfilled.
Ultimately, the struggle for freedom requires rooting out systemic racism and the oppression of women and marginalized communities, including in the legal system.
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