Advocating for Southern Communities
Southern Coalition for Social Justice partners 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, and communications.
Who We Are
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in August 2007 in Durham, North Carolina by a multidisciplinary group, predominantly people of color, who believed that families and communities engaged in social justice struggles need a team of lawyers, social scientists, community organizers, and media specialists to support them in their efforts to dismantle structural racism and oppression.
Our Focus Areas
Our work seeks to support, protect, and empower safe and healthy communities while creating a less punitive, more accountable criminal legal system.
Our Core Values
We are committed to:
Our Vision
Communities will succeed in realizing their own goals, and people will know from experience that they can make a difference on issues that matter to them.
Our Goals
Provide the highest quality legal advice and representation to poor communities and communities of color engaged in social change efforts.
Have substantive priorities that are community-determined. Bring the best social science research (whether litigation or policy-related), communications strategies, and community organizing skills to serve community priorities.
Build coalitions across community lawyering organizations in the South and between national organizations and local community groups.