Blog
Grandmother of Disabled Baby Institutionalized by DSS Returns to Durham to Call for Change
Image credit: WRAL News The harm inflicted on Priscilla Smith’s family by the Durham Department of Social Services was so excruciating that she hopes no other family ever has to endure the same pain. Smith, who now lives in Ohio, joined Emancipate NC at a press...
Emancipate NC & Ben Crump Renew Call for Justice for Darryl Williams
Image credit: ABC 11 News Last Friday, after meeting with Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman, national civil rights attorney Ben Crump joined again with Emancipate’s Dawn Blagrove at a press conference to call for the termination and criminal prosecution of...
An Afternoon of Awards with Angela Y. Davis
None other than abolitionist visionary Angela Y. Davis was in North Carolina last month to deliver the keynote address at Blueprint NC’s annual awards celebration. Emancipate NC staff and their families attended to receive the two awards for which Emancipate had been...
Tim Smith Talks with Cierra About Grief
In the most recent episode of the Black Light Mass Incarceration Show, host Cierra Cobb interviews Timothy Smith about how experiencing the death of his daughter while incarcerated profoundly changed him. By its nature, this podcast does not deal in light topics. A...
Emancipate NC Launches Parent Support Group
Struggling with Child Protective Services (CPS)? You’re not alone. Looking for support carrying the burden of parenthood? You’re not alone. On Saturday, May 27, 2 - 5pm, Team Emancipate’s Toia Potts will be hosting the first Healthy Healing Parent Support Group event....
Kerwin Attends 2023 NC Second Chance Lobby Day
Earlier this month, Kerwin Pittman joined up with the North Carolina Second Chance Alliance for its annual Second Chance Lobby Day at the General Assembly. This coalition comprises a statewide group of people with criminal records, their family members, service...
“No ‘right’ way to tear down oppressive systems”
Photo credit: The Carolinian Team Emancipate’s Dawn Blagrove moderated a panel on the Consequences of Confederate Monument Removal earlier this month. The panel discussion explored the real risks and challenges that our people face as they work to take down racist...
Emancipate Seeks US Dept. of Justice Intervention To Stop Raleigh PD Misconduct
Painting of Darryl Williams, a man tased to death by RPD earlier this year, by Ashlee Inscoe Over the past years, we have written and spoken extensively about the Raleigh Police Department’s track record of police murders, excessive force, racial profiling, First...
Don’t Plead to Weed Webinar High-lights
Twenty people joined Dedan Waiciuri and Jaelyn Miller for Emancipate’s first-ever webinar about our Don’t Plead to Weed (DPW) campaign on 4/20, an exciting launch to what we plan to be the first of many educational events about DPW. In the webinar, Dedan and Jaelyn...
Report-back from BBPN Advocacy Day
Last week, Dawn joined the North Carolina Black and Brown Policy Network’s (BBPN) Advocacy Day at the NC General Assembly. BBPN formed out of the COVID-19 pandemic to address the urgent need for change, substantial resources, policy overhaul, and equity for...
Rolling Stone Magazine: What Happens When You Fight Police Corruption
Photo credit: Cornell Watson for Rolling Stone The recent investigative report by Rolling Stone about the Raleigh Police Department and former detective Omar Abdullah reveals three things: (1) the depths of corruption at RPD, (2) its harms, and (3) what...
Come & Learn! Don’t Plead to Weed Webinar
Community members and lawyers alike, join Team Emancipate's Dedan and Jaelyn next Thursday (4/20) at 6:00pm to learn why you or your client shouldn't always plead guilty to marijuana-related charges. The core of our Don’t Plead to Weed campaign is this: in North...
Listen: Phillip Vance Smith II on the Black Light Mass Incarceration Show
This recent conversation between host Cierra Cobb and guest Phillip Smith ranges from finding and transforming oneself to restorative justice and policy change. Phil’s own life story ties these various subjects together. Over the course of his 22...
Emancipate NC Wins UNC Law Pro Bono Publico Award
Photo credit: Dillon Davis This year, Emancipate NC was nominated and selected for the Community Partner of the Year Pro Bono Publico Award at UNC Law School. This award recognizes the pro bono contributions of a partnering organization that has created...
Join Us: An Interdisciplinary Discussion on Solitary Confinement
On April 21, 6:00 - 7:30pm, at the Duke University Divinity School, join Emancipate’s Elizabeth Simpson for State-Sponsored Torture: An Interdisciplinary Discussion on Solitary Confinement. The event will feature Elizabeth along with an excellent slate of...