This story was written by Tammy Grubb and was first published in The News & Observer on May 26, 2015. CHAPEL HILL – A coalition of attorneys, citizens and community advocates is asking Orange County law enforcement to weed out any racial bias in their departments. The Orange County Bias-Free Policing Coalition recommended 11 steps, including […]
Durham Hosts Human Relations Awards Ceremony February 20
Nominations Sought by January 26; Nomination Form Now Available Online DURHAM, N.C. –The City of Durham Human Relations Commission is now seeking nominations of city and county residents who have distinguished themselves by contributing their time and talents to promoting good human relations in Durham. In honor of February as Human Relations Month, the City’s […]
Communities reframe message to welcome immigrant kids
By Amanda Sakuma While the political uproar has died down over the flood of unaccompanied minors caught at the U.S. border, the states taking in the immigrant children continue to grapple with how to welcome – or not – the newcomers to their communities. In North Carolina, one of the top 10 states to host […]
Duke-UNC Initiative on Poverty and Inequality Summer Fellowship
Duke-UNC Initiative on Poverty and Inequality Summer Fellowship This is a joint effort between UNC and Duke University to focus on issues of poverty and inequality in Durham and Orange counties. The initiative emphasizes the importance of developing an historical understanding as well as working with local communities to find policy solutions to these persistent […]
Durham: Peaceful #BlackLivesMatter protest on 1st night of Hanukkah
DURHAM — Some 100 people gathered in downtown Durham Wednesday evening for a peaceful protest on the first night of Hanukkah, part of a nationwide “Chanukah Action to End Police Violence” event. Carolina Jews for Justice was an organizer locally for the protest by the Major the Bull statue at CCB Plaza. About 20 menorahs […]
'Ban the Box' hiring policies: What Syracuse can learn from Hawaii and North Carolina
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Will Syracuse’s new “Ban the Box” ordinance really make a difference in who gets hired by the city and its contractors? Do Ban the Box laws have any effect? According to two recent studies, the answer is yes. The Syracuse city council this week voted 8-1 to prohibit the city and its […]
Why #BanTheBox Matters: Durham's Success Story
Want proof that “ban the box” policies help people with criminal records secure good jobs while helping employers hire good workers? You’ll find it in Durham, North Carolina, where government hiring of people with records has increased dramatically since the city and county removed questions about prior convictions from job applications. In 2011, the last […]
TalkPoverty LIVE focuses on Durham's "Ban the Box" success
SCSJ Staff Attorney Daryl Atkinson discussed critical policy issues relating to poverty in America with fellow expert panelists on Thursday’s TalkPoverty LIVE! webcast. Joining him were: Jared Bernstein: Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and former Chief Economist and Economic Adviser to Vice President Biden Jodie Levin-Epstein: Deputy Director of the Center for Law […]
Straight Talk's 1 Year Anniversary = Time to Celebrate!
The members of the Straight Talk Support Group invite you to their first Open House in celebration of their first anniversary! Straight Talk is a young Durham-based support group conceived by Ms. Bessie Elmore. Not long after their inception in 2013, the members of Straight Talk Support Group were featured in Indyweek‘s online edition. Straight […]
FADE coalition work changing the narrative around racial profiling
SCSJ is a proud partner in the Durham FADE Coalition. FADE’s work around racial profiling and selective drug enforcement is changing the narrative of the Durham community regarding policing and the Durham criminal justice system. An example of this sea-change is the recent endorsement that FADE received from Yo:Durham, a group seeking to empower marginalized […]
Time to Act to end racial profiling in Durham
In the continuing community dialogue over allegations of racial profiling and police misconduct in Durham, last night’s meeting featured presentations by SCSJ’s Ian Manceand Daryl Atkinson. Mance opened his presentation by providing an overview of DPD traffic stop data and the results of a multivariate analysis which showed race to be a statistically significant predictor […]
Possibilities vs. Obstacles—Ending Racial Profiling in Durham
The sixth and latest meeting examining racial profiling and police misconduct in Durham took place on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. SCSJ’s partner, SpiritHouse, led the meeting between the Durham FADE coalition and the Durham Human Relations Commisssion, which drew an incredibly large and diverse audience: over one hundred people attended and reflected a real cross section […]
Happy Outcome for Durham Homeless Does Not Absolve City Council and Police of Moral Responsibility for Panhandling Arrests
The Durham Police have endured considerable criticism in recent months for a series of high-profile shootings and revelations about the department’s controversial stop-and-search practices, which statistics show amount to a pattern and practice of racial profiling against black motorists. Now the department’s treatment of the city’s most vulnerable citizens—its homeless population—is also drawing fire, in […]
FADE presents evidence of racial profiling at Durham PD certification hearing
The Durham FADE coalition is participating in an ongoing dialogue with the Durham Police Department regarding data showing the use of racial profiling in police stop-and-search and marijuana arrests. As part of this movement, today two SCSJ attorneys, Soros Justice Fellow Ian Mance and Criminal Justice Reform Staff Attorney Daryl Atkinson, spoke at the Durham […]
Police deny claims of racial profiling
By Jonathan M. Alexander in The Durham News jalexander@newsobserver.com November 13, 2013 DURHAM — Despite the statistical evidence, Durham police refuted claims of racial discrimination at Tuesday night’s Human Relations Commission meeting. The commission summoned a police department representative to answer concerns about alleged racial profiling by officers in black communities and during traffic stops. […]
Durham civil rights legend supports the work of FADE
Reflections by Ann G. Atwater* On Tuesday, October 1st, a standing room only crowd filled City Council chambers to address Durham’s Human Relations Commission. At Mayor Bell’s direction, the Commission heard concerns raised by FADE, a new coalition of individuals and neighborhood groups committed to Fostering Alternatives to Drug Enforcement. FADE also made specific recommendations […]
Durham residents organize to stop racial profiling by police
In response to FADE’s ongoing efforts to bring to light troubling reports of racial disparities and bias in the Durham Police Department, Mayor Bell convened the Human Relations Commission on Tuesday October 1, 2013 to hear from the community. As the meeting commenced, there was a palpable sense of urgency and somberness among the packed […]
Durham FADE challenges discriminatory police practices
Durham has been portrayed as one of the most tolerant cities in America, one of the best places to retire, and home to a rich, diverse community. Many Durham residents, however, see a different reality than that on the travel brochures. The “real” Durham, they say, is also characterized by a systemic sickness within its […]