Blog
Year End Round-Up
Two Emancipate NC clients, represented by Ian Mance, with the investigation assistance of Margaux Lander, had their Life Without Parole sentences commuted by Governor Roy Cooper. Brian Fuller and Dwight Jordan are now eligible to apply for parole. Look for more...
Terminally Ill People Languish in NC Prisons
Emancipate NC's client, Phillip Vance Smith, II, is an incarcerated journalist. He wrote an article about North Carolina's new compassionate release law that impacts people incarcerated in state prisons. “One doctor said I got two-to-four years left to live,”...
Do Police Belong in Schools?
According to Indy Week, 80 schools in Wake County, including some elementary schools, all middle schools, and nearly every high school, are employing School Resource Officers (SROs). Emancipate NC’s Elizabeth Simpson expresses concern about the punitive...
Proclamation in Honor of Sam Cooke
On December 16, 2024, the Durham City Council commemorated Sam Cooke's legacy, marking 60 years since the release of A Change Is Gonna Come, one of the most significant songs in American history. Cooke wrote the song after speaking to North Carolina Central University...
Protest Charges Dismissed!
On December 19, Orange County District Attorney Jeff Nieman announced his office would dismiss the final eight cases against UNC protesters set for trial on December 20. The decision followed Judge Samantha Cabe’s written ruling that the state...
Welcome Dillon Sharpe!
Dillon F. Sharpe is a civil rights attorney dedicated to defending the rights of individuals and promoting justice. He plays a vital role in Emancipate NC's Don't Plead to Weed campaign and passionately advocates for protesters and organizers facing criminal charges....
The Emancipated CLE: 2025
Join us on February 7, 2025, in Durham, NC, for the 3rd annual The Emancipated CLE. This Continuing Legal Education seminar is designed for lawyers, law students, and advocates working in the movement law space. The event features five panels, offering 5.0 hours of...
Gifts with Purpose
Give a gift that makes a difference this holiday season! Emancipate NC offers meaningful merch that supports the fight for justice and equality. Hats, tees, sweatshirts, tanks, and notebooks -- each item not only makes a unique gift but also helps fund our mission to...
Poetic Justice 2024
In September, Emancipate NC hosted our seventh annual Poetic Justice event, welcoming a variety of poets to the Global Breath space. Church Da Poet read a poem written by an incarcerated Emancipate NC client, Phillip Vance Smith, II. Mesinjah sang a song about ending...
Welcome to the 2025 Justice League
This Fall, Emancipate NC welcomed 31 new Justice League members from across the State of North Carolina. Please join us in congratulating our largest cohort yet! Nyesha Adkins, a mother of five, is a born native of Rocky Mount, NC. She is passionate about helping the...
Tracking Racial Profiling By Police
Catch Emancipate NC’s Ian Mance on the North Carolina Advocates for Justice podcast. Twenty-five years ago, North Carolina was the first state to create a database of traffic stops to track possible racial profiling. Today, that database has 36 million traffic stops....
Media Roundup: Post-Helene Prison Crowding
After a coalition press conference demanding prison releases due to overcrowding caused by Hurricane Helene, Emancipate NC joined Disability Rights NC, the ACLU of North Carolina, and six other human rights advocacy groups in a call for action. Emancipate NC was...
Raleigh CARES!
In early 2023, Emancipate NC launched the Raleigh HEART Coalition, a diverse group of stakeholders all dedicated to bringing unarmed, compassionate, alternative crisis response to the City of Raleigh. This effort was modeled after the successful HEART program in...
Emancipate NC Wins $100,000 Settlement From New Bern Police
City pays $100,000 to 10-year-old autistic child and his mother to resolve lawsuit The City of New Bern has made significant revisions to its policies governing involuntary commitments (IVCs) and agreed to pay $100,000 to a 10-year-old child and his mother who were...
We Are Who We Have Been Waiting For
Dear Friends: We are truly in our feelings at Emancipate NC. The worst scenario has come to pass. The majority of our countrymen chose to abandon democracy and embrace hate. We cannot be afraid to say the truth aloud. Those who want to see us disappear are not...