• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Chantel Cherry-Lassiter

Counsel, Justice System Reform
chantelclassiter@scsj.org

Chantel Cherry-Lassiter serves as counsel on the Justice System Reform team at SCSJ. She grew up in rural Northeastern North Carolina. She earned her M.P.A from Strayer University and her B.S. in Criminal Justice from Elizabeth City State University. Prior to attending law school, she worked for Elizabeth City State University in the Accounting Department. However, most of her ten-year career with the State of North Carolina was spent as a Child Support Enforcement Agent. She earned her J.D. from North Carolina Central University School of Law, where she also earned a Certification in Civil Rights and Constitutional Law. While attending NCCU Law she was President of the Civil Rights and Constitutional Law Society, President of Teens N Transition, and served as a Guardian ad Litem for Durham County.

During law school, she participated in over 700 hours of pro bono legal work. In 2018, she was awarded the Durham County Bar Association’s Adam Lischer Scholarship for her commitment to serving Durham’s underserved population. Chantel was also awarded North Carolina Central University’s Student Service Impact Award. She received a Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of dedicated public service from the North Carolina State Bar Association. She was also honored to receive the H.M. Michaux Award for Public Service. 

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.

  • Home
  • About
    • Staff
    • Board of Directors
    • Employment Opportunities
  • News
  • Programs
    • Voting Rights
      • News
      • Featured Cases
      • Resources
    • Justice System Reform
      • News
      • Featured Cases
      • Resources
    • Youth Justice Project
      • News
      • Resources
  • Resources
    • Make a Voting Plan: North Carolina
    • Make a Voting Plan: National
    • #MyVoteMyVoice
    • Early Voting Advocacy 2020
    • Videos
    • Reports
    • Infographics
    • SCSJ-led Projects
  • SCSJ Monthly Digest
  • Contact
  • Donate

Search Southern Coalition for Social Justice

Umar Muhammad Clean Slate Toolkit

Focus Area: Criminal Justice, Justice System ReformResource Type: Step-By-Step Guide

View & Download Umar Muhammad Clean Slate Toolkit

The Umar Muhammad Clean Slate Toolkit is a free resource providing a step-by-step guide to remove eligible North Carolina charges from a person’s record. With a typical criminal record expungement costing between $1,500 and $2,000 in court costs and attorney’s fees, the toolkit is designed to help individuals navigate the process independently, making expunctions easier to obtain for people of color and economically underserved populations. 

The toolkit is in honor of Umar Muhammad who was an upbeat, passionate advocate who committed his life to helping people of color who were impacted by the criminal justice system. He joined Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) in 2014, where he fought against the discrimination of justice-involved individuals. He was a community organizer and leader in All of Us or None, an organization that lifts up the voices of those most affected by mass incarceration and the prison-industrial complex. 

Through SCSJ and All of Us or None, Umar helped organize numerous Clean Slate Clinics that served over 60 counties throughout North Carolina. These clinics supported individuals working to address the collateral consequences of having a criminal record, including barriers to employment, housing, and occupational licenses.

The purpose of this toolkit is to empower people with a step-by-step guide to remove charges and convictions from their criminal record so they may economically and socially better their lives. We dedicate this toolkit to Umar, who opened every Clean Slate Clinic by stating, “You are not the sum of your worst mistakes.” 

Umar Muhammad Clean Slate T… by Youth Justice Project

Key Contact

Chantel Cherry-Lassiter, Counsel, Justice System Reform
chantelclassiter@scsj.org

Last Updated: December 1, 2020

Footer

Contact

1415 West Highway 54, Suite 101
Durham, NC 27707
info@southerncoalition.org
office: 919-323-3380
fax: 919-323-3942
Map

Key Links

About
Donate
Most Recent 990
Staff
Board

The Latest

Similar to other voters who testified this week, Mr. Kearney said that under NC's last voter ID law: 👉🏾poll workers seemed confused 👉🏾he was given the wrong ballot 👉🏾he was given no instructions to cure his ballot 👉🏾his vote didn’t count This is why we fight. #NCvoterIDtrial pic.twitter.com/8nYb…

About 33 minutes ago

#NCVoterIDtrial resumed today w/ testimony from lifelong Warren Co. voter Paul Kearney who was disenfranchised in 2016 by NC's last voter ID law. Despite having “a billfold full of IDs,” Kearney, who is Black, didn't have the right ID that day. His provisional vote wasn't counted pic.twitter.com/0YoJ…

Yesterday

Following testimony from political scientist Dr. Kevin Quinn, NC voter Daniel Smith testified in day four of the #NCvoterIDtrial. Smith was disenfranchised by NC’s prior voter ID law when he attempted to vote using a temporary driver’s license after misplacing his original.

About 2 days ago

From historians to #ncga experts to election officials — this week’s testimony in the #NCvoterIDtrial has shed light on the process that led to NC’s discriminatory voter ID law and the effect of voter ID on eligible NC voters. The trial continues now: bit.ly/3uTNuVK pic.twitter.com/pPAR…

About 2 days ago

“As we saw in Georgia and we are seeing in Texas, Arizona, North Carolina and Michigan and plenty of other states, this is a coordinated, multi-pronged attack on the freedom to vote in this country” thecharlottepost.com…

About 2 days ago

Follow @scsj
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Copyright © 2021 Southern Coalition for Social Justice · All Rights Reserved · Website by Tomatillo Design