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Southern Coalition for Social Justice

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.

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News

January 13, 2021

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 […]

Category iconYouth Justice

December 22, 2020

Statement on Election Protection Litigation Brought During the 2020 Elections

Durham, N.C. — Members of the Voting Rights Working Group issue the following statement about its election protection litigation for the 2020 elections.

Category iconUncategorized

December 16, 2020

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 […]

Category iconCriminal Justice,  Press Release

December 14, 2020

As Georgia Election Nears, Coalition Demands That Facebook, State Dept. Protect Poll Workers, Stop Proliferation of Violence Online

A new letter released today by a coalition of more than 60 progressive groups is urging that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg and Director of External Affairs Lindsay Elin stop right-wing extremists from harassing and violently threatening poll workers leading up to Georgia’s runoff Senate election on January 5th, 2021.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

November 23, 2020

SCSJ Now Accepts Cryptocurrency

The Southern Coalition for Social Justice now accepts cryptocurrency! Cryptocurrency donations to 501(c)(3) charities receive the same tax treatment as stocks. They are not subject to capital gains taxes and they are tax-deductible. Please contact your tax or financial advisor for more information.

Category iconRecent News

November 16, 2020

Georgia’s Significance in the 2020 Election

Erin Migneco, SCSJ Volunteer and NC State University Student, shares a blog post on the significance of Georgia’s votes and why the state is currently the nation’s political focus.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

November 12, 2020

Voter Turnout in 2020 Leads to Monumental Election

Erin Migneco, SCSJ Volunteer and NC State University Student, shares a blog post on this year’s record-breaking numbers and sheds light on why this election is crucial for preserving democracy.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

November 11, 2020

Statement from the Voting Rights Working Group on Counting Every Vote in the 2020 Election

WASHINGTON D.C. — As we near the end of this general election, the will of the people must be respected. In record numbers and in the face of a global pandemic, Americans voted early and on Election Day, and availed themselves of mail-in voting. But the right to vote includes the right to have your vote counted.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

November 10, 2020

Statement from Members of the Voting Rights Working Group on Voter Integrity and the 2020 Elections

WASHINGTON D.C. — Members of the Voting Rights Working Group issued the following statement on voter integrity and the 2020 elections.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

November 3, 2020

Op-Ed: Disenfranchised Minorities

Erin Migneco, SCSJ Volunteer and NC State University Student, shares an Op-Ed on voter disenfranchisement amongst people of color, especially those with criminal records.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

October 28, 2020

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.

Category iconVoting Rights

October 21, 2020

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 […]

Category iconRecent News Tag iconClean Slate,  Justice System Reform,  Umar Muhammad

October 15, 2020

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.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

October 12, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

October 7, 2020

#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 […]

Category iconYouth Justice Tag icon#CounselorsNotCops,  #PoliceFreeSchools,  Wake County,  Wake County Black Student Coalition

October 2, 2020

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.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

September 24, 2020

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.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

September 23, 2020

#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 […]

Category iconYouth Justice

September 18, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Uncategorized

September 3, 2020

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.

Category iconVoting Rights

September 2, 2020

#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 […]

Category iconYouth Justice Tag icon#CounselorsNotCops,  #PoliceFreeSchools,  Wake County

September 1, 2020

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 […]

Category iconYouth Justice Tag iconCounselorsNotCops,  PoliceFreeSchools,  Wake County

August 31, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

August 26, 2020

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.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

August 21, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Youth Justice

August 19, 2020

Letter of Support for Executive Order No. 158 Furthering Fair Chance Policies in State Government Employment

RE: Letter of Support for Executive Order No. 158 Furthering Fair Chance Policies in State Government Employment

Category iconCriminal Justice,  Recent News

August 14, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Voting Rights

August 13, 2020

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.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

August 4, 2020

Federal Order Mandates Some Protections for North Carolina Voter Safety

Durham, N.C. — A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction that will put in place some key measures to help ensure North Carolina voters will be able to cast their ballots safely in November’s General Election, even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The injunction by Judge William L. Osteen in Democracy North Carolina et al vs North Carolina State Board of Elections et al will make it easier for people to vote by mail and to help make sure all mail-in ballots are counted.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

July 31, 2020

North Carolina State Board of Elections Upholds Election of Challenged Wayne County Candidate

Durham, N.C. — In a unanimous, bipartisan 4-0 vote, the North Carolina State Board of Elections overturned a decision by the Wayne County Board of Elections and upheld Bevan Julius Foster’s win in the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 3 Democratic Primary.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

July 7, 2020

Candidate Bevan J. Foster to Appeal Election Protest Decision of Wayne County Board of Elections

Durham, N.C. — By a decision of 3-2 following a formal hearing on July 7, 2020, the Wayne County Board of Elections has accepted the allegations of an election protest challenging the result of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 3 Democratic Primary, held on March 3, 2020. If that decision stands, it will overturn Bevan Julius Foster’s win in that contest. Foster, a Black man who had previously served on the Goldsboro City Council, won the primary with 40.78% of the votes. His win was challenged on the basis that Foster does not live in his district and thus was not eligible to run.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

July 2, 2020

SCSJ Partners on Campaign to “Make Good Trouble” and Increase Voter Registration

Durham, N.C. — The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is proud to support the “Good Trouble” campaign to fight voter suppression and increase voter registration in advance of November’s critical general election.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

NC Flag

June 16, 2020

Voting Rights Organizations Provide Guidance to North Carolina Counties on Addressing Potential Early Voting Issues

Durham, N.C. — As North Carolina counties begin planning for the 2020 General Election, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice and Democracy North Carolina have started sending letters to the boards of elections in 27 counties offering information and research on how best to serve voters in their communities amid funding and public health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Letters to 33 additional counties will be sent in the coming weeks.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

June 11, 2020

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.

Category iconRecent News,  Youth Justice

Justice

June 10, 2020

Wayne County Board of Elections Upholds Election of Challenged Minority Candidate

Durham, N.C. — By a decision of 3-2 following a formal hearing, the Wayne County Board of Elections upheld Bevan Julius Foster’s win in the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 3 Democratic Primary, which was held March 3, 2020. Foster, a Black man who previously served on the Goldsboro City Council, won the primary with 40.78% of the votes. His win was challenged by three people who alleged he did not reside in the district he would be representing, and thus was not eligible to run.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

Public Interest

June 8, 2020

SCSJ’s Chief Counsel for Voting Rights and Interim Executive Director Wins 2020 David Carliner Public Interest Award

Durham, N.C. — Allison Riggs, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice’s Chief Counsel for Voting Rights and Interim Executive Director, has been selected as one of two winners of the David Carliner Public Interest Award for her innovative work and commitment to protecting civil and human rights. The award, presented annually by the American Constitution Society, honors a mid-career public interest attorney who exemplifies fearless, uncompromising and creative advocacy on behalf of marginalized people.

Category iconPress Release,  Recent News,  Voting Rights

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"We wanted to encompass the other four demands of the Wake County Black Student Coalition, because it's not just about policing, but it really is about what the schools need to do to make students of color feel safe and supported."@t_whittenberg @Scalawag bit.ly/2Yk5M47

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#ReleaseOurMoneyNC: - Support effective, comprehensive homeless services - Support the adoption of an effective property tax assistance program to help protect low-income homeowners and rural landowners - Use the reserves to create more affordable housing #HousingJusticeNow pic.twitter.com/EtwH…

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Many of those who’ve been working to feed, teach, and support our communities through this pandemic continue to risk their lives for a minimum wage that hasn’t gone up in 11 years. We need #NCGA to #ProtectAllWorkers and #RaiseTheWage. #ReleaseOurMoneyNC #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/wfoX…

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The #COVID19 crisis has taught us that North Carolina needs to protect its people. That begins with expanding Medicaid. Now. #ReleaseOurMoneyNC #ExpandMedicaid pic.twitter.com/ZmPq…

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North Carolina cannot recover from this pandemic without a major investment in protecting our people. #NCGA must #ReleaseOurMoneyNC and deliver on healthcare, housing, and worker protections. pic.twitter.com/9Fy5…

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