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More than 1,000 Rally for Healthcare Reform



On Saturday, August 29th, over 1,000 people traveled to Raleigh, NC for an NAACP, NC Fair Share, and HCAN-sponsored rally for healthcare reform. A number of attendees told moving stories about their personal experiences with our broken healthcare system and the need for a strong public option in our reform bill. You can watch video coverage of the event from WRAL.

Rallies were also held in Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville, New York City, and other cities across America. There will be another rally on the steps of the NC State House in Raleigh on September 3rd.

Earlier this summer, SCSJ partnered with NC HCAN to produce a series of five interviews with North Carolinians about their experiences with the healthcare system. These interviews with patients, a small business owner, and a doctor, make in clear how urgently North Carolinians need healthcare reform. You can watch these interviews online here on the SCSJ website.

Also visit Healthcare for America Now to find out how to get more involved in the fight for quality healthcare!

Healthcare Stories

SCSJ partnered with NC Healthcare for America Now to produce 5 interviews with people from North Carolina about their experiences with the U.S. healthcare system. The interviews are below and available on NC HCAN's Youtube channel.










University Apartments



SCSJ is representing the University Apartments Residents Association in their efforts to stop the gentrification of their historic, 71 year old apartment complex in Durham’s West End on West Chapel Hill Street. In late May, University Apartments was bought by Capstone Companies, an Alabama-based developer which specializes in “student housing development." Many families, older community members, and long-term residents call University Apartments home. The building is renowned for its character, with its high ceilings, radiators, a community garden, a compost center, and large French windows. Residents see the acquisition of University Apartments by Capstone as a potential threat to their safety and security, and with already rising rents current residents may be forced to move.

Help Keep Heirs' Property in Family Hands

Back in the time of Jim Crow, Freeman Beach (www.savefreemanbeach.com) was known as “Bop City,” the only beach for African-Americans in North Carolina which was a destination with a wide variety of nightclubs, great seafood, and plenty of summertime fun. Today, developers are looking to force the sale of the entire property, some 200 acres which has been in the Freeman family for 150 years, through a flawed law that often permits outsiders to compel the sale of family land. Heirs’ property is a term used for land owned by numerous family members who received it as an inheritance from an ancestor who has died without a will. Most common amongst African Americans living in the South, heirs’ property problems happen for a variety of reasons, including a lack of estate-planning resources, as well as a lack of sound legal advice for well-drafted wills. When an ancestor dies without a will, all of the descendants who have a fractional interest in the property own the property undivided. On some occasions, one family member will sell their interest in the land to someone outside of the family, often times a developer. Regardless of how small an interest is held by the developer, they can then force the sale of the property by only proving potential financial damage through a physical division of the land. If land is sold at auction it often sells for far less than its market value, but for more than family members with limited means can afford. In the South especially, land loss among African American families is a significant problem. According to the Land Loss Prevention Project, of the 15 million acres of land acquired by African Americans after Emancipation, only about 2 million acres remain owned by their descendants. Focusing on one state where this problem has been thoroughly researched, the number of black-operated farms in Alabama dropped from 46,032 in 1954 to 1,381 in 1992, a decrease far outstripping the decrease in white-operated farms during that time period. Much of such losses have been attributed to problems associated with heirs’ property. During the recent legislative session, Representative Angela Bryant spearheaded efforts to make North Carolina partition laws more equitable. Specifically, her original legislation would have improved the process through which partitions take place, limited the possibility for self-dealing by attorneys involved in partitions, and guaranteed non-economic factors were considered before family land is auctioned. Unfortunately, strong special interests, most notably the Real Property section of the North Carolina Bar Association, fought these common-sense reforms, succeeding in having some of them stripped from the bill and leaving much work to be done. However, Rep. Bryant pushed forward against special interest opposition, resulting in the Governor signing a bill improving procedural fairness in partition sales, including but not limited to, increasing the time to respond to a petition for partition, assigning representatives to protect the interests of unknown or unlocatable heirs, and underlining the availability of mediation in partition actions. To support this work and encourage further reforms contact Rep. Bryant (www.ncleg.net/gascripts/members/viewMember.pl?sChamber=House&nUserID=574) to thank her for her tireless support of partition reform or contact the Southern Coalition with stories of how your family has been impacted by a partition sale.

Waste dumping proposed near black community

A black community is in close proximity to a proposed sewage treatment plant designed mostly to benefit other areas surrounding them. The proposed Western Wake County Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant would serve the growing needs of Apex, Cary, Morrisville and Holly Springs as well as the Wake County portion of Research Triangle Park south to the year 2030. But black residents near the site say they are bearing the burden of the towns dumping their waste on them without getting the benefit of clean water/sewer lines. Site 14 is adjacent to a black community in New Hill, an unincorporated town near the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant in western Wake County. The New Hill Historic District, on the National Register of Historic Places since 2001, includes two churches – New Hill Baptist Church, built in 1888, and New Hill First Baptist Church, built in 1910, and other buildings with Colonial Revival-style architecture. "I think they need to select another site other than site 14 because that site adjoins our property. It's pretty much in our backyard. The only thing that separates our property from that site is a little creek," said Edna Horton, a resident who has lived in New Hill for over 30 years. Horton, who uses well water, said she is concerned about wastewater contaminating the groundwater if there's a spill. Other New Hill residents, both black and white, are also concerned about the environmental impact. "We feel that if it's put here, it will affect our property value and it will affect our way of life. We feel that no matter what you do, you can't control the odor and at certain times of the year it may be unbearable," resident Johnnie Judd said. Wayne Womble, a Corvette repair shop owner in New Hill, has family that has lived in the area and has been hit by negative environmental impacts dating back to when residents were displaced by the nuclear power plant. "Along with the sewage plant that will come, there could be two 48-inch high pressure lines to power the sewage plant from Apex and Cary that again is going across our property," he said. "We're talking about 30 million gallons a day at full capacity, so a spill would be very dangerous." The site would impact 231 residents, over 75 percent African-Americans, according to the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, a Durham-based multidisciplinary group that promotes justice. "Between 80 percent to 90 percent of the people on the doorstep of the sewage treatment plant are African-American and other racial minorities," said Chris Brook, a SCSJ staff attorney. "The obvious inequity of that becomes apparent when you look at who is trying to build the sewage plant: Cary, Holly Springs, Morrisville, Apex. It basically boils down to an average of about 82 percent white towns trying to build a sewage facility in black folks' backyard." Residents have been opposing the plant since 2005 saying that it's an issue not just about race and environmental impacts, but also about those with more socioeconomic and political power stomping over the little guy. In May 2006, the New Hill Community Association sued all four towns and three mayors over violations, including open meeting laws, but the lawsuit was dismissed by a superior court judge who said they didn't have standing to bring the case to court. In Dec. 2006, the state Department of Environmental and Natural Resources said it didn't consider the towns of Cary, Apex, Morrisville or Holly Springs draft Environmental Impact Statements to be complete, accurate and adequate. Paul Barth, president of the New Hill Community Association, said one of the problems with the EIS. was Western Wake Partners diluted the number of minorities by using a large census tract that went up to Cary instead of focusing on the area right around the plant. In Jan. 2007, WWP hired an Atlanta consultant to conduct a door-to-door survey to try to mitigate the situation. The mitigation plan calls for Apex to build a collection facility next to the sewage plant and provide water and sewage to those immediately surrounding the plant, but the plan only offers water and sewage to a few residents. Also, the cost of connection will be deferred until either the property value rises 50 percent or the property is sold. While a few families support the sewage treatment plant, the vast majority still oppose the site. In Dec. 2007, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has now taken charge of the process so it complies with state and federal environmental law, did its own door-to-door visits. But their draft EIS released earlier this year was written by consultants of WWP and came to many of the same conclusions of the earlier report. A decision is expected soon. "If it's approved, our next move is to file a complaint with the federal EPA. and look at a lawsuit," Barth said. For more information, visit newhillca.org or www.scsj.org.

Environmental Racism, Government Unaccountability Apparent in Sewage Plant Controversy in New Hill

About twenty miles southwest of Raleigh, there is an historic community that has been struggling to preserve its legacy and future due to the development of neighboring Apex, Cary, and other towns. New Hill, North Carolina, a former prosperous train stop and later a charming town with a along the bustling US 1, a road that was for decades the main route between Florida and the Northeast, reminds us of an earlier time before the sprawl of the Triangle. Home to the neighboring Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant which was built in the 1980s, New Hill is being targeted by again by local towns for a new 230-acre site for a sewage treatment plant, which its residents cannot even use. The New Hill Historic District, which is targeted for the 230 -acre site that was once a family farm, has over 60 buildings that belong to the National Register of Historic Places. Yet this history was “not considered” when the Cary Town Council voted to put a new sewage treatment plant in the center of the historic community. The population within a half-mile radius of the proposed site is about 80 percent African American, and mostly poor and elderly. The towns of Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, and Morrisville are 19 percent minority populations on average. Two Gothic Revival churches and many other historic buildings lie either next to or across the street from the proposed wastewater treatment site, as well as historic cemeteries and hundreds of residents. Many residents remember the construction of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant, and remain very frustrated by attempts of larger cities to take advantage of the New Hill community’s lack of political clout and resources to stop it once again. The New Hill Community Association has been fighting this plan for several years now. Check them out in action . The placement of the wastewater treatment plant in the center of New Hill is an example of environmental racism, a term popularized in North Carolina by an African American community organizing against the negative impacts of a hazardous waste landfill. The Western Wake Partner’s proposed $329 million plant in New Hill was pushed by four cities (Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, and Morrisville) in a way that was entirely unaccountable to the desires of the New Hill community. The US Army Corp of Engineers have identified three qualified alternative sites equal or better than the 230-acre site in New Hill’s historic district, which would have little or no human impact or environmental justice concerns. Yet still the leaders in Cary and Apex have continued to push for the construction of the plant in New Hill. Importantly, no decision in regards to the management of sewage residue from the sewage treatment plant have been made or any decision about whether or where it will be applied to land. The environmental impact of where millions of gallons of sewage would be discharged have not been adequately considered, greatly hurting the public’s ability to weigh the impacts of this proposal. On Thursday, August 13, New Hill community members and allies will meet to watch the film "Sludge Diet". We will be meeting at 7 pm at the New Hill Baptist Church at 3700 Old US 1 in New Hill. Everyone is invited to come and discuss the negative environmental, health, and cultural impacts of a sewage treatment plant in New Hill and the steps being taken to stop the plant. If you are part of an organization which would like to support the New Hill community’s efforts to stop the Western Wake Partners attempts to place a sewage treatment in the heart of historic New Hill, check out the resolution here and contact scott@scsj.org.

New Hill Resolution

Resolution to Remove Site 14 as the Preferred Site of the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management Facility (WWRWMF) WHEREAS, the citizens of the New Hill community have formed an association to oppose the siting of the Western Wake Regional Wastewater Management Facility (WWRWMF) in the center of their community for the treatment of waste from Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Morrisville and RTP South; and WHEREAS, the New Hill community was not adequately included in decision-making surrounding the siting of this sewage treatment plant. Decisions about the plant were made by parties outside of their community and without meaningful consultation with members of the community who would be directly impacted; and WHEREAS, the population in New Hill most directly impacted by the WWRWMF siting is disproportionately African-American, low income and elderly, meaning the burdens of a sewage treatment plant will be borne by an overwhelmingly black, impoverished, and elderly community for the benefit of overwhelmingly white communities, creating a severe case of environmental racism; and WHEREAS, the proposed site is located in the middle of the New Hill Historic District and near two historic churches, factors that were not considered in the siting process according to a member of the Cary Town Council; and WHEREAS, a final decision in regards to where millions of gallons of sewage would be discharged has not been made, nor have the environmental impacts of such a discharge been adequately considered. This failure to lay out specific plans stymies the public’s ability to comment on the proposal in a fully educated fashion, and also precludes the public from fully weighing the impacts of this proposal. WHEREAS, no decision in regards to the management of sewage sludge residue from the sewage treatment plant has been made. In particular, no final decisions have been made on how sewage sludge will be treated and where it will be applied to the land. This failure to lay out specific plans stymies the public’s ability to comment on the proposal in a fully educated fashion, and also precludes the public from fully weighing the impacts of this proposal. WHEREAS, the US Army Corp of Engineers have identified three qualified alternate sites with characteristics that are equal to or better than Site 14. Two of the three qualified sites are located on Progress Energy property which was previously condemned and taken from New Hill residents for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant. Progress Energy has confirmed that their property, none of which have environmental justice or human impact concerns, could be used for the siting of the WWRWMF; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the undersigned community members and groups express their desire for the Western Wake Partners to remove Site 14 from consideration for the WWRWMF.

Residents Organizing to Stop the Gentrification of Durham’s Historic University Apartments

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is proud to announce that we are now representing the University Apartments Residents Association in their efforts to stop the gentrification of their historic, 71 year old apartment complex in Durham’s West End on West Chapel Hill Street. In late May, University Apartments was bought by Capstone Companies, an Alabama-based developer which specializes in “student housing development”. Residents of University Apartments met their new landlords last month, only to learn that Capstone has plans to raise rents by 25% for new residents and that the developer has plans for major renovations and additions. Some additions include a new swimming pool, a firepit, a fitness center, and a patio. Renovations including a new “lifestyle center,” and changes to the units including granite countertops, crown molding, high speed internet, and double-paned vinyl windows promise to attract higher rents and middle-class tenants tied to Duke University. The new cream-colored vinyl windows The new granite countertops The new carpet floors which replaced the hardwood floors Many families, older community members, and long-term residents call University Apartments home. The building is renowned for its character, with its high ceilings, radiators, a community garden, a compost center, and large French windows. Residents see the acquisition of University Apartments by Capstone as a potential threat to their safety and security, and with already rising rents current residents may be forced to move. Located one mile from Duke East Campus and close to downtown Durham, this building which for nearly three quarters of a century housed working-class, multiracial, multiethnic occupants of all ages in affordable housing, may soon be filled with Duke students who have quite a different lifestyle and reputation. Many local housing advocates, as well as residents of University Apartments, see the potential displacement of the current residents in favor of university students who pay higher rents as gentrification. Gentrification occurs as middle and upper-class occupants take over neighborhoods once occupied by working-class residents. As more professionals and Duke students look to live in a more urban setting for a variety of reasons, the accompanying higher rents and property taxes displace families, long-term residents, and workers who once lived in affordable neighborhoods like University Apartments and the contiguous historic Burch Street and West End neighborhoods. When communities organize, they can build collective power to resist and reverse the negative impact of corporate developers who look to buy properties in order to make profit. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice, based a mile from University Apartments, is working with the University Apartments Residents Association to provide legal, media, and community organizing support. The current tenants are demanding that their neighborhood remain affordable, that every effort is made to keep the current tenants, that their health and safety needs are respected during the renovations, and that the new additions and renovations don’t ruin the historic charm of University Apartments. If you would like to get involved, contact Elena at Elena@southerncoalition.org For more info about University Apartments' history, check out this great blog post at Endangered Durham Lisa Sorg from the Indy has also written two great articles here and here Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Apply for Census 2010 Outreach Mini-grants today!

Make the Census Counts Everyone The Southern Coalition for Social Justice has been working for the past months to give Census Outreach Mini-Grants to community organizations in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana that are a trusted voice in their communities. The mini-grants are given to organizations who create projects which raise awareness of the importance of the census in underrepresented and undercounted communities. Project examples include 1. A community organization could give out water bottles with census information in Spanish to migrant farmworkers at a farmworker camps in rural North Carolina 2. A community organization can perform a bilingual play about the importance of the census at a local community center. If your organization is interested on creating similar outreach programs, and would like some funding for this crucial work, check out our website and application HERE. Grant applications are being accepting on a rolling basis until September 30th, 2009!

The 2010 Census will be one of the largest civil projects in the history of the US, employing hundreds of thousands of census workers, all in attempt to make sure that everyone is counted. Unfortunately, the Census Bureau estimates that it missed over 3 million people, or the equivalent of the entire state of Mississippi.

The Census Matters Census counts are directly tied to the federal dollars communities receive for important services such as education funding, affordable housing support, job training, social services, roads, bridges, and other community development opportunities. Census counts also directly impact a community’s political voice because the numbers inform voting districts and determine how communities are represented. The 2010 Census will trigger a new round of revisions in elected districts across the country. State and local governments throughout the country will be using Census data to shape and reshape districts for partisan political gain. These revisions will have a direct impact on the reservation of and the expansion of underrepresented peoples electoral opportunities and representation for the next decade. Who doesn’t get counted? Careful studies of past census counts demonstrate that certain communities are at higher risk of not being counted accurately. These communities include • Communities and People of Color, • People and families that live in rental property • Transient communities, such as the homeless and migrant workers • Native Americans and poor, rural communities • Immigrants (census counts are for everyone, regardless of citizenship status) • The elderly and people who live in group housing You can learn more: Southern Coalition for Social Justice Census Bureau