Blog
How Do Jails Impact Families?
A Community Forum Hosted by Emancipate NC & People’s Alliance 📅 Monday, October 20, 2025 · 7:00 – 8:30 PM 📍 People’s Solidarity Hub, 1805 W. Chapel Hill Rd (Teal Building), Durham, NC 27707 Join Emancipate NC and the People’s Alliance for an evening of...
Thank You for Celebrating 50 Years of Resistance and Resilience with Us!
On September 27, 2025, Emancipate NC hosted a truly memorable evening at our “50 Years of Resistance, 50 Years of Resilience” event, and we couldn’t have done it without the incredible support of our community. From attendees to volunteers, and especially our generous...
Emancipate NC Files Brief in US Supreme Court in Capital Case Involving Race and Gender Discrimination
N.C. NAACP, N.C. Association of Black Lawyers, and N.C. Advocates for Justice join brief By Emancipate NC Senior Counsel Ian Mance For 50 years, Emancipate NC has stood steadfast against the use of capital punishment and the pervasive practice of race-based jury...
Blurred Line of Religion, Politics, and Exploitation
A Community Gathering for Truth, Faith, and Freedom As our nation faces a troubling rise in authoritarianism, communities are being called to examine the dangerous intersections of religion, politics, and exploitation—and to reclaim faith as a tool for liberation, not...
Emancipate NC Demands Accountability from the Durham County Jail
Today, Emancipate NC heads to court to demand the full, unredacted release of the Durham County Jail’s policies on the use of restraint chairs and solitary confinement. Both practices have long been linked to serious physical and psychological harm. Yet the public...
Join Us in the Garden!
Apply By Oct. 30th: 2025–2026 Justice League Fellowship
Emancipate NC is thrilled to announce that applications are open for the 2025–2026 Justice League Fellowship! The deadline to apply is October 30th, so get your application in now! What is the Justice League? The Justice League is an organizing fellowship for...
Free Legal Info Friday in Greenville Updates
Team Emancipate NC has been hard at work in Greenville and beyond through Free Legal Fridays. Over the past several weeks, Dedan Waciuri and Attorney Dillon Sharpe have met with community members to: Answer questions about staying safe during police encounters Provide...
Emancipate NC Files Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Against N.C. Highway Patrol Sergeant
On May 25, 2024, Thomas J. Simmons, a 44-year-old Native American man from Pitt County, suffered an epileptic seizure while driving in Greenville. His car sideswiped another vehicle and crashed into a utility pole. Witnesses told responding officer Sgt. Ashley B....
Emancipate NC Pushes Back on Harmful Legislative Proposals
Following the fatal stabbing at the Charlotte train station, lawmakers have floated proposals that would further expand pretrial detention by limiting or eliminating cash bail. Emancipate NC’s Executive Director, Dawn Blagrove, strongly opposed these measures, warning...
Know Thyself: Black Power Radio 🎙️
Emancipate NC’s Dawn Blagrove recently joined the radio show Know Thyself: Black Power Radio for a powerful conversation on justice, community, and liberation. 📺 Watch the full show here→ And don’t miss Dawn’s next live appearance on October 5th—tune in and be part of...
Justice for Anthony Drayton: Court Update
On September 17, 2025, Attorney Dillon Sharpe filed a Notice of Appeal in Anthony Drayton’s case, moving his misdemeanor conviction for Resisting a Public Officer to Pitt County Superior Court for a jury trial. At the District Court level, the Pitt County DA’s Office...
Emancipate NC and Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy
We are proud to share that Emancipate NC has joined with a broad coalition of organizations to release the Blueprint for a Stronger Democracy. This comprehensive report lays out strategies to strengthen democratic institutions in North Carolina and ensure that every...
WUNC Highlights Launch of Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center
Kerwin Pittman, executive director of the nonprofit Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services and Policy and Program Lead at Emancipate NC, has launched North Carolina’s first Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center. Launched in January, this innovative mobile unit...
Read the Op-Ed: NC Police Shouldn’t Use Marijuana Smell as a Pretext for Searches
Elizabeth Simpson, Strategic Director for Emancipate NC, recently authored an op-ed published in the News & Observer making the case against allowing police to use the odor of marijuana as justification for searches. She writes: “The N.C. Supreme Court should hold...