“Under no circumstances is this acceptable that a disabled and mentally ill child is placed in handcuffs because they’re having a meltdown.” Angel’s Mom at a coalition press conference in May 2021 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 17, 2021 For media inquiries:Brianna M. GillardE: bgillard@rlfcommunications.comO: 336-553-1706M: 786-897-7106 WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Black Activist Coalition, along with […]
SCSJ on Hair Discrimination Investigation: “Take a Broader Look”
SCSJ to Durham Public Schools: “take a much broader look at racial bias in all of their policies.” DURHAM, N.C. (May 12, 2021) — On May 12, Durham Public Schools (DPS) issued a statement that they would be investigating an incident involving a Durham high-school student who was forced to cut her hair during a softball […]
NC High School Student and Father Demand Policies to End Hair Discrimination in Schools
For media inquiries:Michelle RashE: mrash@rlfcommunications.comO: 336-553-1733M: 336-823-5501 Durham, N.C. — Following a hair discrimination incident involving a sophomore softball player at Hillside High School in Durham, North Carolina, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice calls on the Durham Public Schools (DPS) and the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to pass policies that eradicate all […]
Southern Coalition for Social Justice Responds to North Carolina Student Discipline Legislation
SCSJ: “This is a step in the wrong direction for a state where most people would rather walk toward equity.“ DURHAM, N.C. (May 10, 2021) — North Carolina lawmakers are advancing legislation that would create harsher penalties for minor school disciplinary infractions. House Bill 247 would allow schools to use long-term suspension or expulsion as […]
Racial Equity Report Cards Find Ongoing Disparities in Discipline in North Carolina Public Schools
For media inquiries:Michelle Rashmrash@rlfcommunications.com336-553-1733 (office)336-823-5501 (mobile) Durham, N.C. — While Black students made up 24.8% of children in North Carolina public schools, they received 54.9% of all short-term suspensions during the 2019-2020 school year, which ended in-person learning for students statewide in mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. White students, who comprise 45.5% of […]
Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline: A Town Hall Hosted by the Youth Justice Project and the People’s Alliance
Durham, NC – The Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice is partnering with People’s Alliance to host a virtual town hall meeting on the school-to-prison pipeline in Durham Public Schools (DPS) on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m.
Youth Advocacy Organization Launches Campaign Urging Durham Public Schools to Provide Equal Opportunities for All Students
Press Contact:Michelle Rashmrash@rlfcommunications.com336-823-5501 (mobile) Durham, N.C. — The Youth Justice Project (YJP) of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice launched a coordinated effort to end the school-to-prison pipeline and achieve educational justice in Durham Public Schools (DPS). The #LiberateToEducate campaign envisions a future in which students of color attend schools that lift them up, provide […]
#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 […]
#CounselorsNotCops Infographics Reveal Policing Disparities in Wake County Public Schools
Black and Latinx students should have a safe learning environment. But for many students of color, school police do not equal safety. In Wake County Public Schools, where there are over 70 hired police officers, 22% of students are Black but they make up 73% of students referred to juvenile or adult court by school […]
Harrison Raises $2,000 For The Youth Justice Project
Harrison walked 8.27 miles in two hours to raise money for the Youth Justice Project at the Walk With Us For Social Justice Event.
Education Justice Alliance, Students from Enloe High School, and SCSJ Demand that the Wake County School Board End the School Resource Officer Program and Terminate Contracts with Local Law Enforcement Agencies
Durham, N.C.— Jasmin Loraine Benas, Srivani Edupuganti, Teya Franks, and Reagan Razon of Enloe High School, in partnership with Education Justice Alliance (EJA) and Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), sent a demand letter to the Wake County Board of Education urging the immediate end of all school policing contracts with local law enforcement agencies and greater investments in alternatives to school policing. This termination demand is in response to both Raleigh Police Department’s violent use of force against peaceful protesters following the death of George Floyd and Wake County Public School System’s school policing practices that disproportionately harm Black and Brown students.
CARES Act Vulnerable Students Letter
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), in partnership with three organizations focused on racial and educational justice, is urging North Carolina to use $95.6 million in education funds earmarked for the state in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to benefit the most vulnerable students. These vulnerable student populations include students of color, economically disadvantaged students, children with disabilities, homeless students, immigrant students and youth in foster care and the juvenile justice system.
Among the suggested uses for the funding are purchasing laptops or tablets for students who do not have them, creating quiet learning environments for students who are homeless or in foster care and providing training for students and teachers on how to better utilize technology for remote learning.
SCSJ Issues 4th Annual Racial Equity Report Cards Highlighting Disparities in North Carolina Public Schools
Durham, N.C. — While Black students make up 25% of children in North Carolina public schools, they receive 55.2% of all short-term suspensions. White students, who comprise 47.3% of all students, only receive 25.8% of all suspensions. These and other findings of disparity are detailed in the statewide Racial Equity Report Card issued today by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
SCSJ Celebrates Continued Progress in Winston-Salem Following Dept. of Education Complaint
SCSJ and community partners celebrate a win for students and parents of Ashley Elementary after a panel of the Winston-Salem City Council voted unanimously to recommend the sale of city-owned property that will serve as the site of a new school to replace Ashley Elementary. The recommendation is slated to go before the full City Council for consideration on October 21.
Youth Justice Project Releases SRO Recommendations
Durham, NC — Members of the Youth Justice Project’s Youth Steering Committee (YSC) released a series of recommendations for Durham Public Schools and the Durham County Sheriff’s Office regarding school policing. The recommendations stem from a School Resource Officer Town Hall hosted by the YSC in early April, incorporating feedback and discussion from the attendees. The […]
Federal Court Order Now Requires Durham County to Comply with New Policies Regarding Youth Held in Custody
DURHAM, N.C. — A federal judge has endorsed a settlement that requires separate facilities for youth and adults in Durham’s detention facilities. The court order resolves a lawsuit brought by the family of 17-year-old Uniece Fennell after she took her own life in the Durham County Detention Facility (DCDF) in 2017. The order by U.S. District […]
Racial Equity Report Cards Continue to Show Disparities in Achievement and Discipline
This year’s report cards include teacher diversity statistics for the first time Durham, N.C. — The 2019 Annual Racial Equity Report Cards released by the Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice reveal significant racial disproportionality across the state and in most individual school districts. The report cards use public data on academic achievement, school […]
Youth Justice Project: Federal Commission on School Safety Recommends Scrapping Anti-Discrimination Guidance Implemented During Obama Administration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) Federal Commission on School Safety has released its final report, which includes a recommendation that the DOE and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) rescind guidance issued in 2014 aimed at ensuring educational agencies comply with federal obligations to administer student discipline without discriminating based on race, […]