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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Introduction: Mobilizing to Build the Movement, SCSJ heads to Detroit Twenty thousand community organizations and activists from around the United States gather this month at the U.S. Social Forum to share our stories, skills and struggles, and you can help North Carolinians get there! SCSJ and community partners will caravan to Detroit on June 21st for a week of workshops, education and networking with other activist and community organizations committed to racial and economic justice and human rights. On June 25th, SCSJ will partner with New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice to present a workshop on community lawyering, titled "Law and Organizing Partnerships that Build Worker And Community Power." The Social Forum is an important opportunity for SCSJ and our community partners to build allies on specific campaigns, get out the message about our work, and gain skills and connections that sharpen our responses to injustice. $30 will cover USSF registration for one participant $75 will cover breakfast for one week for 8 participants $120 will cover one night's accommodations for four community members $200 will help cover ground transportation costs to the event Can you help us get to the US Social Forum? Click here to support a community member in North Carolina make it to this monumental event. 2. Events Expert Preparation and Community Education Program > July 26-31 Wills Clinic > July 10-11 SCSJ will hold a clinic in Edgecombe county on July 10-11 to help rural, low-wealth families of color develop wills. The lack of estate planning and will drafting contributes to land loss in the African-American community. SCSJ attorneys Becky Jaffe, Chris Brook and our summer legal interns will spend a weekend in Edgecombe county drafting wills for several families that have heirs' property, which is collectively-owned property passed down through multiple generations. Heirs' property is particularly vulnerable to being lost through tax issues, takeover by developers, or judicial proceedings. The wills clinics are just one part of SCSJ's efforts to help rural, African-American families protect their ancestral land. Please contact Becky Jaffe or Chris Brook for more information. Moore County Conference on Municipal Underbounding > June 18-19 SCSJ and the Southern Moore Alliance for Excluded Communities will host a conference focusing on communities in Moore County, NC, impacted by municipal underbounding on June 18-19. Municipal underbounding occurs when impoverished communities of color are excluded from the boundaries where city services are provided in prospering towns. The conference will allow participants facing similar problems in California, Washington, New Mexico, Oregon, and Mississippi to see its impact via community tours of Jackson Hamlet, Midway, and Waynor Road. SCSJ will also provide background information on the history and prevalence of municipal underbounding and promote discussion of strategies for effectively combating it. Please contact Chris Brook for more information about the conference. 3. Announcement: SCSJ is Accepting Applications for an Office Manager/Administrative Assistant
A very competitive compensation package, including comprehensive health benefits is offered. To be considered please submit a resume, cover letter, and three references to office@scsj.org. Application review will begin June 16. SCSJ is an equal opportunity employer and minorities are encouraged to apply. 4. Let the Community In - Wake County Parents and Students Want a Voice to Stop Re-segregation in Their Schools
A Wake County Superior Court Judge found that the School Board acted unreasonably and violated the Open Meetings Law by preventing people from attending the meeting. SCSJ continues its efforts to support Wake County residents in opposing re-segregation in their schools. Parents of current Wake County students can contact Allison Riggs for more information. 5. Staff Attorney Marty Rosenbluth Visits the White House to Discuss 287(g)
6. A Courageous Immigrant Woman Finds Justice In April 2009, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice called attention to a series of harassing email and online messages by Bedri Kulla, an Immigrations Customs Enforcement (ICE) official against our client, an immigrant and single mother from El Salvador. On June 25, 2010, Xiomara Blanco may gain a little peace after living for months in constant fear and anxiety that resulted from sexual harassment and threats to her liberty. On this day, Kulla will plead guilty to a Civil Rights Violation and will receive sentencing in Federal District Court after threatening to use his position as an ICE official to have Blanco deported unless she became his girlfriend. Blanco's circumstances illuminate a situation faced by many undocumented immigrants living in shadows trying to work and live in the United States but who are often abused and exploited because of their vulnerable documentation status. "I hope my story inspires other people who have had to deal with people like Bedri to find friends and allies to help them seek justice," says Blanco. 7. Civil Disobedience and a Demand for Justice as Immigrants Gather at the White House on May 1st
Youth, allies and leaders from the immigrants' rights movement, including UNC-Chapel Hill first-year student, Wooten Gough, ended the journey with non- violent civil disobedience in front of the White House. Thirty protesters held letters, spelling, "OBAMA STOP DEPORTING OUR FAMILIES." The Dream Walkers left behind their shoes next to the protesters, asking Congress to fill them by passing the DREAM Act. The sit-in was accompanied by thousands of protesters chanting slogans such as "Education not Deportation" and holding signs demanding the government to recognize the contribution of undocumented workers to the United States. When the thirty protesters were arrested and later released in the afternoon, they were greeted by cheers from a vigil of supporters. The May Day event in DC and the hundreds of others throughout the country demonstrate an ever- strengthening grassroots, immigrant rights movement across the United States. 8. HURRICANE - Participatory Human Rights Documentation and Story-Collecting
9. As Census 2010 Winds Down, What Results Did It Leave Behind? The Census Bureau has struggled to count disenfranchised communities for decades but SCSJ's sixty-eight community partner organizations throughout the South have been working hard to reduce the undercount through funds from SCSJ's mini-grant program. In North Carolina, SCSJ's Avery Book worked in ten target counties with historically high undercount rates and helped build local coalitions to mobilize census outreach efforts. At the end of April, the Public News Service reported on our work contributing to NC's strong participation rate in the first phase of the census. The improved turnout thus far makes it possible for NC to secure a 14th congressional seat - but only if we continue to get counted! There's still more time. From now to July 10th, census workers are going door-to-door to homes that have not mailed back a form. If you don't get a visit, you can call the Bureau's Telephone Assistance Questionnaire hotline until July 30th to get counted. Our work toward a full and accurate census count is only one step in building civic power so that communities can make decisions for themselves. Check out our work on the Community Census & Redistricting Institute to learn about how we are continuing to support communities throughout the South. 10. Knowing Struggles Past and Present: Interactive Map of Durham Traces Human and Civil Rights Activism
Through audio interviews and text embedded in an interactive map you can see the layered stories behind the new pedestrian bridge lowered over the Durham Freeway/147. This bridge re-connects a neighborhood, home to mostly African-American working-class families, bisected when highway 147 was routed through it twenty years ago. Read more about it here. 11. Voting Rights Face-Off in Kinston, N.C. Kinston, NC, is the site of a major showdown on the constitutionality of Section V of the Voting Rights Act. The Southern Coalition for Social Justice represents several Kinston citizens who want to defend the constitutionality of Section V. Section V is an essential tool for defending minority voting rights because it requires changes to voting practices have approval from the US Department of Justice to ensure they do not unfairly burden minority voters. 12. Friends and Partners Celebrate Together at House Party for SCSJ A strong showing of local support for SCSJ in its efforts to empower communities in the South occurred on May 15th at the home of Dan Whittle and Jane Harwell. These two supporters graciously opened their home for an afternoon of celebration and fundraising, which allowed almost 50 guests to hear first-hand accounts of recent SCSJ achievements. The suggested donation for the house party was $25-$50 per person and over $1300 has been collected. It is still possible to make additional donations online. Grassroots fundraising efforts are critical to the continued success of SCSJ. To discuss opportunities for hosting a supporting event of your own, please contact Chris Brook. 13. SCSJ Welcomes Its Summer Interns! Melenia Jackson is a rising second year law student at North Carolina Central University School of Law. This summer, she is working on a campaign to preserve heirs' property in NC, help under-bounded communities gain access to municipal utilities, and work on the Census and Redistricting Institute, which will focus on maintaining and growing majority-minority districts. She looks forward to working with SCSJ because this organization gives her good exposure to how the law and lawyers can work for the people and for social justice. Harmony Mancino is a rising second year law student at Campbell Law School from Warren, Ohio. She worked as a paralegal at the North Carolina Justice Center for three years, where she supported immigration cases, ranging from asylum to U visas. This summer she will continue to provide support to immigrant clients facing detention, as well as learn about other areas of civil rights law. Aaron Jacobson is a rising third-year student at UNC Law School and was previously an organizer with the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC). This summer, he will be working on immigration-related matters, a wills clinic for community members in rural eastern N.C., and the Census and Redistricting Institute. Aaron hopes to be able to participate in and contribute to various progressive and organizing campaigns in his role as a lawyer after graduating from Carolina Law. Haroon Saqib is a rising junior at UNC - Chapel Hill studying Business and Economics. This summer, he will be working to develop new media strategies to support community clients and support SCSJ's work with projects. He is interested in implementing creative strategies for justice and community self- determination. Grover Wehman is a graduate student in Communication Studies at UNC Chapel Hill studying what it means to be 'home' and its relationship to economic justice organizing. This summer she is working to support residents in the Lincoln Apartments Tenants Association to address housing and human rights violations at the Lincoln Apartment Buildings in Durham. In addition, Grover will work to support the New Hill community in their fight for environmental justice. Garret Sumner is a rising senior at UNC Chapel Hill majoring in Latin American Studies and Spanish. This summer, he is working in immigrant justice and will be documenting the stories of our immigration clients. Nathaniel Baker is a rising senior in the Department of City and Regional Planning at Cornell University and has interned as an affordable housing advocate in New York City. This summer, he will continue to work on affordable housing projects as well as immigration and environmental justice. 14. SCSJ In the Courtroom: SCSJ Represents Five Greensboro Students Who Took Direct Action to Challenge Police Corruption On May 4, 2010, five student protestors were arrested while protesting corruption within the Greensboro Police Department at a Greensboro City Council meeting and charged with second degree trespass. In addition to these charges, the student protestors had outlandish and onerous restrictions placed on them until trial, such as a 6PM-6AM curfew and a complete ban from visiting any City of Greensboro property. SCSJ staff attorney Chris Brook filed a successful motion to lessen these restrictions, which was granted that same day by District Court Judge Teresa Vincent. The curfew was fully lifted under the revised terms of pre-trial release, and the protestors are permitted on all City of Greensboro property with the exception of the Melvin Municipal Office Building where the direct action took place. Click here for more information about why the students sat-in on City Hall. |
SUPPORT SCSJ PHOTOS May 1st March to White House
VIDEOS
Heirs' Property
Trail of Dreams Walkers in Cary
Diversity Policy in Wake County IN THE NEWS 2. Interview with Rebecca Fontaine, a Community Organizer in North Carolina 3. New Hill Residents Request Concessions 4. Charges of Corruption Put GPD Under Scrutiny 5. School Board Opponents Arrive Early For Meeting 6. Point of view: Severing the bonds of trust 7. Suit Challenges Diversity Vote 8. Lawsuit filed against Wake school board 9. Group Files Lawsuit Against Wake School Board 10. Anti-Arizona SCSJ'S SUMMER INTERNS
Melenia
Harmony
Aaron
Haroon
Grover
Garrett
Nathaniel We would like to thank the following organizations for their financial support: Open Society Institute Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation CONNECT WITH US!
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SCSJ has joined with other voting rights advocates, experts and attorneys to form the 
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) is seeking a highly motivated office manager/administrative assistant to join our team of community organizers, lawyers, social scientists, and media experts devoted to empowering minority communities. The successful candidate will have a bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of general office management experience in a legal or non-profit organization. In addition to general administrative support, the position will require bookkeeping, management of an office computer network, and the ability to provide extensive end user support for various software applications. A basic understanding of Spanish is preferred, but not required. For a complete job description click 
The Southern Coalition for Social Justice and several other organizations and private attorneys represented a group of plaintiffs-students, parents, and concerned citizens who were excluded from a March 23, 2010 Wake County School Board meeting. During the meeting, the School Board had passed a resolution dismantling the county's nationally-recognized diversity policy in favor of "neighborhood" schools.
On May 10, 2010, Staff Attorney Marty Rosenbluth was invited to the White House for a meeting between the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and immigrant rights advocates to discuss current enforcement of the 287(g) program, a program that creates cooperation agreements between ICE and local law enforcement agencies. Read more about it 
In recent years, May Day, International Workers Day, has been re-energized with national actions celebrating and demanding justice for immigrant workers. SCSJ's Rebecca Fontaine and Anthony Maglione and North Carolina youth Viridiana Martinez and Rakhee Devasthali joined the 
What do you get when you give immigrants the tools to document violations of their human rights? The 
Take a stroll through Durham civil and human rights activism (past and present) on the Pauli Murray Project's ever growing website.
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Monthly Sustainers help build our financial stability so that we can continue to organize with communities and to defend and advance human rights. If you value the work of SCSJ and our community partners, consider becoming a monthly sustainer. If you prefer to contribute with a check, you can send your secure tax deductible donation to:
SCSJ
115 Market St., Ste 470
Durham, NC 27701
Checks can be made payable to Southern Coalition for Social Justice or "SCSJ"
Thank you for ongoing support for building a human rights movement in the U.S. South!
Anita, Marty, Bob, Jillian, Rebecca, Chris, Anthony, Allison, Bill, Becky, Interns & the Board
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