Blog
Justice Bus Tour Launch Highlights the Real Impact of the “Big Ugly Bill”
The NAACP Sanford (Lee County) Branch officially launched its Justice Bus Tour with a powerful and timely presentation by Executive Director Dawn Blagrove, whose remarks left a lasting impression on community members of all ages. As a featured speaker for the...
From Incarceration to Ownership: Kerwin Pittman Reclaims a Prison for Reentry and Renewal
Kerwin Pittman is making history. With the recent purchase of the former Wayne Correctional Center in Goldsboro, Pittman says he has become the first formerly incarcerated person in the United States to purchase a prison—and he plans to transform it into a space for...
The Assembly Article Highlights a Rare Path to Relief for People Sentenced to Die in Prison
Pencil and felt-tip pen artwork by Jesse Graham while incarcerated A recent article in The Assembly by Sylvia A. Harvey, “A Narrow Window of Hope for People Sentenced to Die in Prison,” highlights how Emancipate NC is helping revive a long-forgotten North Carolina law...
Landmark Settlement Achieved for the Family of Darryl Tyree Williams
In December, Emancipate NC announced a major civil rights lawsuit against the City of Raleigh on behalf of the estate of Darryl Tyree Williams. Mr. Williams died after being tased six times by Raleigh police officers, including, the estate alleged, while he was...
North Carolina Prison Officials Raise Prices for Those Who Can Least Afford It
A recent Bolts article by Phillip Vance Smith II highlights a troubling new policy in North Carolina’s prison system: a sharp price increase on canteen goods that disproportionately harms incarcerated people and their families. The Department of Adult Correction has...
Director Dawn Blagrove Sounds the Alarm on New Post-Conviction Limits That Could Trap Innocent People in Prison
A new North Carolina law imposing a strict seven-year limit on post-conviction appeals is drawing sharp criticism from justice advocates across the state, including Emancipate NC’s Executive Director, Dawn Blagrove, who warns the law could leave innocent people with...
Emancipate NC Attorney Elizabeth Simpson Calls Out Systemic Failures in NC DOJ Legal Work
In a recent Assembly investigation, “The Lawyers Who Kept Screwing Up,” Emancipate NC’s Strategic Director and Attorney Elizabeth Simpson offered an unflinching assessment of the persistent errors and dysfunction within a division of the North Carolina Department of...
A Note from Our Executive Director: Dawn Blagrove
“Bent, But Not Broken” | Acrylic on repurposed canvas | 20x20 A quick note from our Executive Director, Dawn Blagrove: 2025 has been a gut punch. Tired, overwhelmed, underappreciated, beat down, back against the wall. Despite the fear, the weariness, the uncertainty…...
Dawn Blagrove Speaks at NC NOW Conference on “Resisting the Rollbacks NOW!”
On Saturday, November 8, Executive Director Dawn Blagrove joined advocates, organizers, and community leaders at this year’s North Carolina NOW Conference, themed “Resisting the Rollbacks NOW!” The full-day event (9:00 AM–4:00 PM) focused on confronting policies that...
Celebrating Black Women in Law: Dawn Blagrove Speaks at Rooted and Radiant: The Wonder of Us
On November 15, 2025, Executive Director Dawn Blagrove joined Black women attorneys from across North Carolina for Rooted and Radiant: The Wonder of Us—a powerful gathering in Raleigh celebrating the brilliance, resilience, and collective strength of Black women in...
Emancipate NC at the Blueprint/SVA Convening in Asheville
Emancipate NC Organizer Toia Potts and Strategic Director Elizabeth Simpson recently represented the organization at the Blueprint/Southern Vision Alliance Convening in Asheville, NC. The gathering brought together allies, partners, and funders from across the...
Update: Emancipate NC’s Fight Against Gender Bias in Jury Selection Featured in The Assembly
Earlier this year, we shared the story of Bryan Christopher Bell and Antwaun Kyral Sims — two men whose right to a fair trial was undermined when a North Carolina prosecutor admitted to removing a woman from the jury simply because she had children and expressed a...
Community Meeting: Restore In-Person Family Visits at Durham County Jail
📅 Monday, November 17 · 7:00 PM 🌱 People’s Solidarity Hub 📍1805 Chapel Hill Road, Durham 🍛 Hot meal + community conversation Families should be able to look each other in the eye—not through a screen. Join Emancipate NC, the Children & Family Coalition, and...
Apply to Join the Justice League — Deadline Extended!
There’s still time to apply! The deadline to join the next cohort of Emancipate NC’s Justice League has been extended to November 17, 2025. Hear directly from Kerwin Pittman about why this fellowship matters. What is the Justice League? The Justice League is a paid...
NC’s Mental Health Problem: How Iryna’s Law Wouldn’t Have Stopped Her Murder
Phillip Vance Smith II wrote a moving piece in response to the legislation passed by the GOP-controlled House of Representatives in North Carolina. He explains: In response to the killing, GOP lawmakers — who hold a majority in the state’s legislature — passed NC...