Blog
The Attack on Anthony Drayton: Join Us in the Fight for Justice
Join Emancipate NC in Greenville, North Carolina, on June 23, 2025, for a press conference in support of Anthony Drayton, who was violently assaulted by Greenville police officers earlier this year. Emancipate NC Attorney Dillon Sharpe represents Mr. Drayton on...
Victory for Transparency: Court Orders Full Release of NCCU Protest Bodycam Footage
On June 10, 2025, Emancipate NC Attorney Dillon Sharpe, alongside Attorney Dominique Erney of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, appeared in Durham County Superior Court to advocate for transparency and justice. They represented North Carolina Central...
Make Them Prove It!
Another courtroom win—and the fight continues On May 20, 2025, Attorney Dillon Sharpe represented a Don't Plead to Weed client in a Wake County District Court trial, presided over by Judge Christopher Brooks. Our client faced multiple charges, including: Possession of...
Progress in Raleigh: CARES Alternative Response Program Moves Forward
Emancipate NC celebrates key wins after years of community advocacy Thanks to sustained advocacy—including letter-writing campaigns and public pressure led by Emancipate NC—the Raleigh CARES (Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support) program is finally...
Racial Profiling Data Leads to Dismissal of Felony Charge in Wake County
In a powerful example of how data can expose racial profiling and change legal outcomes, Emancipate NC Senior Counsel Ian Mance recently played a key role in a Wake County criminal case that ended with the dismissal of a serious felony charge. Mance was called as an...
The Cage Comes with Conditions: Durham Jail’s Father’s Day “Visitation” Highlights Dehumanizing Carceral Control
Commentary By Dedan Waciuri & Emancipate NC As Durham County prepares for its annual in-person jail visitation window from June 9 to 13—a gesture marketed as a compassionate opportunity for families to reconnect—it becomes clear that this policy is not about...
Justice for Tyrone Mason
The family of Tyrone Mason, a 31-year-old Black man who died during a North Carolina Highway Patrol pursuit in Raleigh on October 7, 2024, is demanding justice after prosecutors declined to charge the trooper involved. Their call for accountability comes after body...
Tenant Justice Served in Durham
In a victory for tenants’ rights, Emancipate NC Attorney Jaelyn Miller secured justice for Ms. Griffin and Mr. Marrow, two Durham residents forced to leave their home due to dangerous, unlivable conditions. Despite the property being declared uninhabitable by the City...
GREENVILLE BLOCK PARTY
Join Amani Collective and Emancipate NC for a Community Block Party on Saturday, May 31, from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM! Enjoy a day of food, drinks, music, and family-friendly fun, including bounce houses and...
Victory for Amazon Union Organizer: Charges Dismissed
On May 16, 2025, Emancipate NC Attorney Dillon Sharpe successfully defended an Amazon labor organizer who had been arrested at Amazon RDU1 by the Garner Police Department earlier this year. Our client, a ranking member of the Amazon Labor...
Another DPW Win in Wake County
On May 14, 2025, Emancipate NC Attorney Dillon Sharpe secured another win for a Don’t Plead to Weed client in Wake County District Court. Our client was pulled over for driving slightly below the speed limit. She cooperated fully and answered...
Victory for Equal Protection in Tyrrell County
In a ground-breaking win for Equal Protection, a U.S. district judge, James Denver III, ruled that Black residents of Tyrrell County may proceed with their lawsuit to remove the Confederate monument in front of their courthouse. The County tried to dismiss the...
Community Gathers for Cannabis Reform Conversation
On May 19, 2025, the Child and Family Action Coalition hosted a powerful community forum focused on Cannabis Reform — highlighting how current cannabis laws are harming Black and Brown families across North Carolina. The conversation, led...
Sheriff Birkhead Dodges Accountability at Town Hall in Bahama
This week, Emancipate NC traveled to the Bahama Ruritan Club to attend a town hall held by Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead. Despite repeated requests from community leaders to hold public dialogue in central Durham, the Sheriff chose instead to speak in Bahama...
Don’t Ask Me Shit: Why Black People Shouldn’t Talk to the Police
The police are not broken. They’re doing exactly what they were designed to do: protect property, enforce white supremacy, and crush resistance. For Black people, especially those who understand our struggle through a revolutionary lens, talking to the police is not...