Blog
Why We Still Have to Say Don’t Plead to Weed in the Era of Legalization
Commentary by Dedan Waciuri Decades of data reveal stark racial disparities in marijuana enforcement. Despite roughly equal rates of marijuana use across races, Black people are far more likely to be arrested for low-level cannabis offenses than white people. Between...
Vote for Us!
Emancipate NC has been nominated for INDY WEEK’s “Best Local Activist Group” in Raleigh! We’re honored to be recognized for our work in the fight for justice. See the following link to vote—your support means everything! Vote...
Stop the Coup
Emancipate NC is proud to co-sponsor the Stop The Coup Rally: “By Any Means Necessary” on March 29 in Wilmington, NC—the historic site of the 1898 coup, when white supremacists massacred Black citizens to overthrow the municipal...
DEI BLSA Campbell Law School Event
“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” efforts are under attack. Don’t be misled! The fight against DEI is more than rhetoric—it’s a direct threat to our basic civil rights. Join the Black Law Student Association at Campbell Law...
News Observer Features Emancipate’s Protest Defense Work
Laura Saavedra Forero, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill and a well-known campus activist, participated in a constitutionally protected protest last fall. As a wheelchair user, she is easily identifiable in a crowd. Following the protest, UNC...
The Fight to Remove Monuments to the Confederacy
The fight to remove a racist Confederate monument—the one dedicated to “Our Faithful Slaves”—continues in Columbia (Tyrrell County), North Carolina. Emancipate NC represents a group of Black citizens demanding an end to this offensive government-sanctioned display. At...
Stop the SAVE Act!
Congressional Republicans are advancing a bill that would impose strict new voter registration requirements, including a mandate for registrants to present documents proving U.S. citizenship. However, tens of millions of Americans lack easy access to such documents,...
Emancipate NC Protects the Right to Protest
Emancipate NC, the ACLU of North Carolina, and Muslim Advocates have filed a lawsuit challenging the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s continued punishment of individuals involved in last spring’s peaceful pro-Palestine encampment....
Judicial Panel
Last week, the American Constitution Society invited Dawn Blagrove to participate in their panel, “Who’s to Judge? Protecting the Legitimacy of State Courts,” alongside Robyn Sanders, Robert Yablon, and Zack Gima. The group discussed what steps can be taken to protect...
Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center
As you heard in the last newsletter, Kerwin Pittman’s Mobile Recidivism Reduction Center launched and is operating out of a renovated bus that he and seven other formerly incarcerated people gutted and renovated together. “Having to come [back] into...
Sticky Note Conversations
Listen to the latest episode on Erika Washington’s podcast. She interviews Dawn Blagrove, and they discuss the fight against systemic racism, the importance of abolition, and the need for Black communities to become self-sustaining. Dawn discusses her...
Defending Organizers in Court
Emancipate NC secured a significant victory in Wake County District Court last week, as all charges were dismissed against union organizers who were unlawfully removed from Amazon’s worksite in December. The pair were represented by Dillon Sharpe. On...
Stopping the Real Steal
Dawn Blagrove spoke to a crowd of hundreds gathered in Raleigh, NC last week to protest the baseless challenge to Allison Riggs’s North Carolina Supreme Court seat. Working with Common Cause, ACLU of NC, Forward Justice, and...
Defending Worker Organizing
For five years, Emancipate NC has held down defense of protesters, activists, and organizers in North Carolina. Our newest attorney, Dillon Sharpe, heads to court in Wake County next week, defending an Amazon worker and an organizer both charged with trespassing...
The Emancipated CLE 2025 was a success!
Thanks to everyone who came! Come again next year!