Blog
Pro Bono Criminal Record Expungement Clinic
Emancipate NC will be at King Solomon Lodge No. 1 for a Pro Bono Criminal Record Expungement Clinic designed to connect eligible community members with free legal assistance and information regarding criminal-record relief. đź“… Saturday, November 7, 2026 đź•™ 10:00 a.m. đź“Ť...
Raleigh’s Proposed Teen Curfew: Criminalizing Young People is Not the Answer
An ABC 11 story, “Raleigh leaders plan to vote on teen curfew next month as police chief cites 'trend of violence'” by DeJuan Hoggard and Michael Perchick, explains that Raleigh city leaders are considering a new teen curfew following incidents of violence and large...
Executive Director Dawn Blagrove Honored
Watch as Executive Director Dawn Blagrove accepts March on Washington Lifetime Legacy Award from The National Black Leadership Caucus Watch now→
Emancipate NC Leaders Elizabeth Simpson and Toia Potts to Present at 2026 National Parent Representation Conference
Emancipate NC is proud to announce that Strategic Director Elizabeth Simpson and Organizer Toia Potts will be presenting at the 2026 National Parent Representation Conference, co-sponsored by the ABA Center on Children and the Law and the National Alliance for Parent...
A Step Forward in Tyrrell County: Challenging Racist Government Speech in Our Public Spaces
By Attorney Jaelyn Miller The Tyrrell County monument was erected in 1902, decades after the Civil War and during the era when white supremacist governments were consolidating power across the South. The monument's largest text is a massive panel with the inscription...
From Don’t Plead to Weed to Local Decriminalization: Emancipate NC Supports Hate Out of Winston’s Campaign
By Attorney Jaelyn Miller For years, Emancipate NC’s Don’t Plead to Weed campaign has challenged the criminalization of marijuana in North Carolina—and the lasting harm that a marijuana charge can cause to people and families. Now, that work is connecting with a...
Opening Doors to Second Chances: Emancipate NC Joins Community Expungement Clinic
By Attorney Jaelyn MillerA criminal record can create barriers to employment, housing, education, and other opportunities long after a person has completed their sentence. That’s why access to expungement and second-chance resources is so important.Emancipate NC was...
Dawn Blagrove Joins Walk Together, Convening to Discuss Protecting Democracy and Defending the Vote
Emancipate NC joined movement partners from across the state at the Walk Together: A 2026 Movement Building Convening for Voter Protection, hosted by Forward Justice, North Carolina Asian Americans Together, and the North Carolina Black Alliance on July 23–24, 2026,...
The Assembly Highlights Contentious Politics Over Emancipate NC’s COVID Litigation in New Article
A recent article in The Assembly, “The Politics of a Prison-Release Settlement,” by Michael Hewlett, examines the political debate surrounding a 2021 settlement that reduced North Carolina's prison population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The article highlights...
Inspiring the Next Generation of Black Leaders
Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove was honored to speak at the 12th Annual NC Black Alliance Think Tank, hosted by Shaw University in Raleigh on July 26–28, 2026. This year's theme, "A SNCC Peek: Our Liberation Will Be Socialized," drew inspiration from...
Justice Bus Tour Expungement Clinic Comes to Sanford
Emancipate NC is proud to partner with the NAACP Sanford (Lee County) Branch for the Justice Bus Tour Community Expungement Clinic & Second Chance Resource Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2026, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Gospel Lighthouse Church, 407 W. McIntosh...
Freedom Rising Tour: Forsyth County Stop
Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC will share reflections and remarks alongside organizers, advocates, and community leaders from across North Carolina, including Adrienne Kelly, Rev. Stefan Weathers, Desmera Gatewood, and Alexia Chavis of Democracy...
Dawn Blagrove Joins Statewide Community Briefing on Legislative Overrides
Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove joined advocates from across North Carolina for a statewide community briefing following the North Carolina General Assembly's override of Governor Josh Stein's vetoes of several controversial bills, including measures...
Emancipate NC Continues Fight to Protect Free Speech at UNC-Chapel Hill
Emancipate NC remains at the forefront of the legal fight to defend the constitutional rights of students and community members who were indefinitely banned from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill following the 2024 campus protests. As highlighted in a...
Dawn Blagrove to Be Honored for Outstanding Service to North Carolina
Emancipate NC is proud to celebrate Executive Director Dawn Blagrove, who will be honored for her Outstanding Service to North Carolina during the 63rd Anniversary March on Washington Celebration Breakfast on Saturday, August 29, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church...