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.

OP-ED: Arrested for voting? Hervis Rogers and the case against disappearing our voters.

Read SCSJ’s Equal Justice Works Fellow Mitchell Brown’s Houston Chronicle op-ed HERE. Last week, when Attorney General Ken Paxton arrested Hervis Rogers for allegedly casting an illegal ballot, he did so knowing that Rogers is considered an American hero. Rogers made national headlines after waiting more than six hours to vote at a Houston polling place […]

Southern Coalition for Social Justice Responds to Fast-Moving N.C. Anti-Protest Bills

SCSJ: “…these bills send a strong message that our legislature’s priority is not protecting the fundamental rights of North Carolinians.” DURHAM, N.C. (5.6.2021) — North Carolina lawmakers are fast-tracking two bills on Thursday that would create more penalties for protesters and provide more protections for police.  House Bill 805, sponsored on May 3, by House […]

Southern Coalition for Social Justice Reacts to Killing of Andrew Brown Jr., Joins Brown Family and Protestors in Calling for Release of Footage

SCSJ: “[We] demand justice for Andrew Brown Jr., accountability for the police violence that took his life, and transparency for his loved ones and others seeking safety and reassurance.” DURHAM, N.C. (April 29, 2021) — Following a judge’s denial on Wednesday of requests to immediately release videos showing police officer’s fatal shooting of Andrew Brown, Jr., Southern […]

Southern Coalition for Social Justice Launches New Toolkit to Help Individuals Successfully Transition from Incarceration

For Immediate ReleaseDec. 16, 2020 For media inquiries:Michelle Rashmrash@rlfcommunications.com336-553-1733 (office)336-823-5501 (mobile) Durham, N.C. — The Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) has launched a new criminal justice reform initiative to better prepare individuals who have been released from federal or state prison to navigate the re-entry process. A key component of this initiative is the […]

Southern Coalition’s Report Finds Nearly 70,000 North Carolinians Denied the Right to Vote Even After Incarceration

DURHAM, N.C. — A report released by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice notes that nearly 70,000 North Carolinians who are completing post-release supervision and felony probation were denied the right to vote in 2017. The report, “The Freedom to Vote: Felony Disenfranchisement in North Carolina,” analyzes available data from the North Carolina Administrative Office […]

Settlement of Case Involving Preventable Teen Suicide in Durham County Jail to Lead to Significant Policy Changes

DURHAM, N.C. – Two years after 17-year-old Uniece Fennell took her own life in the Durham County Detention Center, a lawsuit brought by her family has resulted in a settlement agreement containing significant policy changes and protections for youth detained and in the custody of the County.  The lawsuit and settlement agreement were filed simultaneously with […]

Statement Regarding the Investiture of Anita Earls to the North Carolina Supreme Court

RALEIGH, N.C. – Anita Earls was sworn in today as the 100th Justice to sit on the North Carolina Supreme Court in an investiture ceremony this afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Earls, founding Executive Director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, was elected to the seat in November. Kareem Crayton, Interim Executive Director of […]

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Subpoenas Local Election Boards for Troves of Information in Apparent Fishing Expedition, Undermining 2018 Election Administration

    RALEIGH, N.C.– Assistant U.S. Attorney Sebastian Kielmanovich recently issued subpoenas to Boards of Elections in all 44 counties in North Carolina’s Federal Eastern District on behalf of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).  While the exact timing of the issuance of the subpoenas is not clear, they became public knowledge on September […]

Statement Regarding Alamance County Voters Accused of Voting While Ineligible

GRAHAM, N.C. – Five voters represented by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) charged with voting while ineligible accepted plea deals to lesser charges in Alamance County Superior Court today.  As part of the deal, prosecutors dropped all felony voting-related charges. SCSJ clients Anthony Haith, Neko Rogers, Whitney Brown, Keith Sellars and Willie Vinson, […]

Mother of Niecey Fennell Speaks Out on Critical Safety Issues at Durham Detention Center

Durham, N.C. — Attorneys for the family of Uniece “Niecey” Fennell, who was found deceased, hanging in the Durham County Detention Facility (DCDF) in March 2017, have again called upon the Durham County Board of Commissioners to address critical safety issues at the facility in the county’s 2018-19 fiscal budget. Adding to remarks made at […]

Press Release: Civil Rights Groups Sue North Carolina DMV For Revoking Driver’s Licenses of People Who Cannot Pay Traffic Tickets

Taking licenses from people who cannot pay violates the U.S. Constitution, lawsuit says RALEIGH, N.C. –The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has revoked the licenses of hundreds of thousands of people simply because they cannot afford to pay traffic fines and court costs. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the American Civil Liberties […]

Statement from the Southern Coalition for Social Justice Regarding the Dismissal of Charges for the Protesters Charged with Toppling Confederate Monument in Durham

On February 20, 2018, Durham District Attorney Roger Echols announced that he was dismissing the charges against protesters charged with toppling the Confederate monument outside of the old Durham County Courthouse in August 2017.  The decision came the day after the first three protesters to stand trial had their cases dismissed or were acquitted. Whitley Carpenter, part of […]

Dr. Kareem Crayton Hired as Interim Director for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice

DURHAM, N.C. – The Board of Directors for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) has hired Kareem Crayton, J.D., Ph.D. to serve as the interim executive director as the organization conducts a search for a full-time director.  Anita Earls, the organization’s current executive director and founder, is stepping down from her position at the […]

N.C. Attorneys Challenge Court Fines and Fees as Unconstitutional

Advocacy groups encourage similar challenges across North Carolina RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina’s practice of charging criminal defendants with an array of court fines and fees unjustly burdens low-income people and violates the state constitution, according to a motion filed today in Wake County Superior Court. The motion challenging the constitutionality of court costs is […]

SCSJ Launches Fair Chance Business Certification

Durham, N.C. — This week, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice launched the Fair Chance Business Certification. Similar to Living Wage certifications, this program celebrates businesses who are open to hiring people with criminal records. The major criteria for certification is “banning the box” — an approach of shifting questions about criminal records to later in […]

SCSJ supports call to remove Confederate monuments, memorials, and flags at the courthouses in North Carolina

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice has signed onto a resolution drafted by the North Carolina Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Criminal Justice System that calls for the immediate removal of all Confederate monuments, memorials, flags, and other symbols and markers of racism and white supremacy, from all public spaces inside or […]