Redistricting lawsuits move on

RALEIGH — A pair of lawsuits challenging North Carolina’s new Republican-penned boundaries for congressional and legislative seats can move forward, a three-judge panel said Monday.…

New Hill Community Association Settles Litigation For More Than $500,000 in Community Benefits

MEDIA ADVISORY FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, January 28, 2011 New Hill, NC--The New Hill Community Association has settled its litigation against the Western Wake Partners over their decision to site a wastewater treatment facility in their community. Represented for the past two years by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, the Association received $500,000 to build a community center, a long-held goal of New Hill residents. "During the course of our efforts, our community has come together as never before with neighbors becoming friends,” said Rev. James Clanton, Pastor of the First Baptist Church New Hill. Rev. Clanton, who serves as New Hill Community Association Secretary and was recently awarded the Florenza Moore Grant Community Environmental Justice Award, continued, “These efforts will help mitigate impacts to our community." The Partners will also connect the community center to the new wastewater treatment facility free of charge as well as constructing two bus stops for community children as part of the settlement. The Partners had already agreed to hook up individuals living closest to the facility to water and sewer, improving upon their original plans by clarifying they would handle all expenses and pay directly to water and sewer contractors instead of requiring residents to wait for reimbursements. SCSJ staff attorney Chris Brook echoed Rev. Clanton’s sentiments saying, “SCSJ was proud to work with NHCA in their quest for environmental justice and know the settlement represents a huge step to realizing the New Hill community’s goals.” Contact: Chris Brook, attorney Southern Coalition for Social Justice (919) 323-3380 Chris@SouthernCoaltion.org Paul Barth President, New Hill Community Association (919) 539-8736

Abrams v. Fowler

Case Summary: SCSJ is challenging North Carolina’s parole system in federal court on behalf of Brett Abrams, who was sentenced to life in prison in…

How Can We Manifest Hope into Freedom?

The American Prospect Longform recently published an article entitled, Is There Hope for the Survivors of the War on Drugs? by Senior Writer Monica Potts. …

Know Your Rights

Over the past two decades, there has been a drastic increase in the number of police officers patrolling public schools. Since 1995-1996, it is estimated that…

media advisory: scsj posts fair redistricting maps as comparison for congressional maps

Anita Earls 919-323-3380 ext. 115 anita@southerncoalition.org www.southerncoalition.org SCSJ Posts Fair Redistricting Maps as Comparison for Congressional Maps DURHAM—Leading up to the expected release of the proposed congressional maps today, the Southern Coalition for Social Justice has posted on its website its own map of congressional districts for the State of North Carolina for comparison. The SCSJ illustrative plan was submitted to the General Assembly’s redistricting committee in May. “Our map is a ‘least change’ map for the most part. It preserves the cores of existing districts, avoids diluting the voting strength of minority voters, does not pair any incumbents and is likely to result in a congressional delegation with the same partisan balance as the current delegation,” said Anita Earls, executive director of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice. “Our maps are fair, compact and recognize existing communities of interest.” SCSJ has been working with community groups and organizations across the state and around the country to participate in the redistricting process. More information can be found at their website for the Community Census and Redistricting Institute, redistrictinginstitute.org. ### The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in August, 2007 in Durham, North Carolina by a multi-disciplinary group, predominantly people of color, who believe 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.