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.

SCSJ Represents Democracy North Carolina in Amicus Brief Urging State Court to Reject State’s Proposed Remedy Maps

Late Friday, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice submitted an amicus brief on behalf of Democracy North Carolina urging a three-judge state court panel in Common Cause v. Lewis to reject the “remedial” State Senate and House redistricting plans enacted by the General Assembly a little over a week ago. SCSJ and Democracy NC argued that those plans fail to eliminate the partisan bias that led the court to invalidate the prior plans as unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders.

North Carolina’s Middle Court Orders New Legislative Maps Drawn by September 1

Greensboro, N.C. — A panel of three federal court judges has ordered the North Carolina General Assembly to redraw legislative maps by September 1, 2017 in order to remedy the unconstitutional and racially gerrymandered districts found in the Covington v. North Carolina case.  Legislative leaders had requested until November 15 to enact new maps, despite […]

SCSJ Files Amicus Brief at the U.S. Supreme Court in Virginia’s Racial Gerrymandering Case

September 15, 2016     Amicus Brief Filed at the U.S. Supreme Court in Virginia’s Racial Gerrymandering Case Race was a factor when lawmaker drew legislative districts WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Southern Coalition for Social Justice filed an amicus brief yesterday afternoon in support of plaintiffs in Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Board of Elections. In […]

Federal judges order NC to redraw racially gerrymandered legislative districts

  DURHAM, N.C. — Voters and voting rights advocates won a major court victory today in North Carolina, where three federal judges unanimously found that 28 of the state’s legislative districts are racially gerrymandered and must be redrawn after the November 2016 election. The three-judge court in the Middle District of North Carolina found that […]

Judge orders remedial actions in Wake County redistricting case

Raleigh, NC — This morning, August 9, a judge overseeing the Wake County redistricting case ordered a series of actions to resolve the unconstitutional redistricting for the Wake County Board of Commissioners and the Wake County School Board. The following is the list of actions to correct the situation, as ordered by the judge. County […]

Wake Voters Sue Over New County Commission Districts

For Immediate Release                                                                                                    Contact: Beverley Clark, […]

Anita Earls on 'To The Point'

SCSJ Executive Director Anita Earls appeared on ‘To The Point,’ discussing evidence of voter suppression and the ongoing need for a strong Voting Rights Act. Fifty years after the Civil Rights Movement, there’s new controversy over the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The US Supreme Court has ruled that it’s out of date. Now, some […]

Appeal opposes Wake School Board Redistricting Plan

Appeal Opposes Wake County School Board Redistricting Plan FOR IMMEDIATE  RELEASE Contact: Anita Earls, anita@scsj.org, (919) 323-3380 x 115 WAKE COUNTY, NC – Today the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, on behalf of thirteen Wake County citizens and two community organizations, appealed the decision of Judge Terrence W. Boyle dismissing their challenge to the North […]

NC Redistricting Battle Moves to State Supreme Court

On Monday, January 6, 2014 the Southern Coalition for Social Justice will present oral arguments before the North Carolina Supreme Court, urging the court to find that the 2011 redistricting maps are unconstitutional and racially discriminatory. During the summer 2013 trial, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice represented several statewide nonpartisan groups seeking to overturn […]

NC redistricting foes again seek to remove Newby

(NOTE: SCSJ represents nonpartisan civil rights plaintiff groups in this lawsuit) By GARY D. ROBERTSON — Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. — Opponents of the new boundaries for North Carolina General Assembly and congressional seats are again asking the state Supreme Court to force an associate justice to recuse himself from coming arguments on the maps’ […]

What is racial gerrymandering and why should I care?

Recently Slate writer David Weigel wrote a detailed article discussing the effects of racial gerrymandering on politics in North Carolina, one of the states where SCSJ is deeply engaged in voting rights work. In addressing redistricting issues in North Carolina, Weigel writes that the state underwent a 2011 redistricting overhaul at the hands of a […]