Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Partnering with communities of color and economically disadvantaged communities in the south to defend and advance their political, social and economic rights through the combination of legal advocacy, research, organizing and communications.

U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Protections for North Carolinians Who Voted by Mail

Durham, N.C. — In a 5-3 decision, the United States Supreme Court has upheld a lower court ruling that allows North Carolina voters who make an error on their mail-in ballot to receive notice of the mistake and have an opportunity to fix it, as well as extending the deadline for receipt of absentee ballots. This critical ruling will help ensure potentially thousands of ballots are counted in this year’s critical General Election.

Southern Coalition for Social Justice Launches New Toolkit to Help Navigate Expungement Process

For media inquiries:Michelle Rashmrash@rlfcommunications.com336-553-1733 (office)336-823-5501 (mobile) Durham, N.C. — The Southern Coalition for Social Justice has launched a new effort focused on helping individuals with criminal records better navigate the process to have their records expunged. At the center of this outreach is the Umar Muhammad Clean Slate Toolkit, a free resource providing a step-by-step […]

Process For “Curing” Mail-In Ballot Errors in North Carolina Clarified Following Federal Court Ruling

Durham, N.C. — Voters in North Carolina who choose to vote by mail will have greater clarity around the process for correcting mistakes on their ballot envelope following a ruling in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. The rulings by Judge William L. Osteen, in line with his preliminary injunction order instructing that North Carolina voters who make a mistake on their ballot must receive notice and an opportunity to fix mistakes, will help ensure a greater number of North Carolina ballots are counted this General Election.

CROWD Academy Fellows 2020-2022

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is excited to support CROWD Academy graduates to serve as regional CROWD Academy Fellows for two years starting in the summer of 2020! Fellows will learn skills to support their community and partner organizations in their organizing efforts to monitor and intervene in the 2020-2022 redistricting cycle.

#CounselorsNotCops: Wake County Black Student Coalition Demands

Students across Wake County have joined together to demand #CounselorsNotCops. For this campaign, the Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice joined with the Wake County Black Student Coalition (WCBSC), Education Justice Alliance, and ACLU of North Carolina to release a second #CounselorsNotCops video featuring WCBSC members demanding safe, Black-affirming schools free […]

Voting Rights Organizations Continue Fight to Ensure All North Carolina Mail-In Ballots Are Counted

Durham, N.C. — Democracy North Carolina, the League of Women Voters of North Carolina and individual North Carolina voters who have or plan to vote by mail this General Election have filed motions in two different federal lawsuits to guarantee that all absentee vote-by-mail ballots are counted, even if the voter makes a mistake when filling out their ballot envelope.

Federal Lawsuit Challenges North Carolina Felony Voting Law

Durham, N.C. — Two organizations focused on advancing equality and increasing political participation have filed a federal lawsuit challenging North Carolina’s Strict Liability Voting Law, a vague and racially discriminatory law that makes it a felony for North Carolina residents to vote if they are on parole, probation or post-release supervision for a felony conviction, even if they mistakenly believe they are eligible to vote. Virtually every other election crime punishable as a Class I felony in North Carolina requires intent. The lawsuit seeks an injunction prohibiting prospective enforcement of the law, including for the 2020 General Election.

Open Letter Condemning the Arrest of Legal Observers on August 28, 2020

The undersigned organizations unequivocally condemn the targeted arrest of two trained legal observers witnessing the enforcement of a city curfew on the night of August 28, 2020. We call on local leaders to publicly join us in standing beside the arrested legal observers as they fight for their right to document the actions of law enforcement without harassment, arrest, or other interference, and demand a specific written exception for that purpose in any future curfews.

Launch of #MyVoteMyVoice

As the 2020 General Election approaches, SCSJ is uplifting the voices of voters, especially of young people, in the voting process through short and compelling videos.

#CounselorsNotCops: The Need For Police-Free Schools in Wake County

The Wake County Black Student Coalition, the Education Justice Alliance, the ACLU of North Carolina, and the Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice demand #CounselorsNotCops. In the first of a video series, these organizations join together to explain the need for police-free schools in Wake County. Black students should feel safe […]

Students, Advocacy Organizations Urge Wake County Schools to Fund #CounselorsNotCops

For Immediate ReleaseSeptember 1, 2020 For media inquiries:Michelle Rashmrash@rlfcommunications.com336-553-1733 (office)336-823-5501 (mobile) Raleigh, N.C. — The Wake County Black Student Coalition, the Education Justice Alliance, the Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and the ACLU of North Carolina are launching a targeted campaign called #CounselorsNotCops to remove school resource officers (SROs) from […]

Make a Voting Plan

Do you have a voting plan for this year’s General Election? Do you know when you will vote, or how? As the 2020 General Election approaches, SCSJ has created a one-stop digital hub to provide North Carolinians with all of the information they will need to vote, from checking to see if they’re registered to vote to learning about the different ways to vote – especially in the midst of a pandemic. Accompanying the NC state-specific webpage is a separate webpage for national resources, including state election information.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Eases Access to Voting for Nearly 1.3 Million Medicaid Recipients

Durham, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has begun mailing voter registration forms to nearly 1.3 million Medicaid recipients who have had their benefits automatically renewed within the past year. Additionally, moving forward, voter registration forms will be mailed out with the correspondence DHHS already sends to Medicaid recipients whose benefits have been automatically renewed.

Protecting Democracy and Securing the Future

Communities across the country are suffering as a result of a worldwide pandemic, the likes of which we have not seen in more than one hundred years. And in the midst of this pandemic, our elected leadership continues to fail us time and time again. Our elected leaders’ failures directly impact our community and create chasms between those who have access to resources and those who do not. One equalizing tool we do have, however, is the right to vote. The right to vote allows communities to have an equal say in how they are governed and allows our elected officials to be held accountable for ensuring that they have the community’s best interests at heart.

Court Continues to Uphold Injunction Against North Carolina’s Discriminatory Voter ID Law

Durham, N.C. — A three-judge panel in Wake County Superior Court declined to lift a preliminary injunction against North Carolina’s voter ID law in Holmes v. Moore, saying a modification to the list of permissible IDs approved by the legislature this summer does not resolve concerns that the voter ID law discriminates against voters of color.