Blog
Slaughtering The Innocent: A New NC Law Will Keep Innocent People Locked Up
By Phillip Vance Smith II A new North Carolina law taking effect on December 1, 2025, will impose a seven-year limit on filing post-conviction appeals through a Motion for Appropriate Relief (MAR), potentially preventing wrongfully convicted people from proving their...
Dawn Blagrove Presents at the 10th Annual HBCU Think Tank
Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove was a featured presenter at the 10th Annual HBCU Think Tank, themed BLACKOLOPY—a celebration of collective Black ownership, economic empowerment, political awareness, and cultural pride. BLACKOLOPY, inspired by Monopoly...
Civil Rights Lawsuit Challenges Greenville Police Over Illegal Hemp Search
By Emancipate Attorney Jaelyn Miller Emancipate NC attorneys Jaelyn Miller, Elizabeth Simpson, and Dillon Sharpe have filed a civil rights lawsuit against the Greenville Police Department after a student was wrongfully searched and cited for marijuana...
September 6: Dawn Blagrove to Present Eyes Wide Shut “Blurred Line of Religion, Politics, and Exploitation”
Victory for Tenants: Full Security Deposit Returned in Landmark Win
We’re celebrating a major tenant rights win by Emancipate NC attorney Jaelyn Miller. She recently secured the full return of a wrongfully withheld security deposit for Ms. Thompson, an elderly tenant who had left her rental home in excellent condition and met every...
📢 Happening Today! – NC Courts 101 Webinar
The decisions made in North Carolina’s state courts affect every part of our lives—from voting rights to education to public safety. Join us online TONIGHT, August 14, at 6 PM for NC Courts 101 to learn: How our state courts work Why judicial elections matter How you...
Don’t Forget: Free Legal Information Friday in Greenville!
📍 August 1, 2025 🕓 4:00 – 7:00 PM 📌 The Office – 804 West 5th Street, Greenville, NC Emancipate NC’s Dedan Waciuri and Attorney Dillon Sharpe will be back in Greenville hosting Free Legal Information Friday—a community-centered event offering practical legal...
“Reclaiming Futures: Ending TPR and Strengthening Family Bonds” featured in The Family Justice Journal
The Summer 2025 issue of the Family Justice Journal features a powerful article co-authored by Emancipate NC organizer Toia Potts and Alexandria Cinney, Staff Attorney at the ABA Center on Children and the Law: “Reclaiming Futures: Ending TPR and Strengthening Family...
Emancipate NC Awarded Catalyst Grant from Urban Institute and Microsoft
We’re proud to share that Emancipate NC has been selected as a recipient of a Catalyst Grant from the Urban Institute, in partnership with the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative. The Catalyst Grant Program supports nonprofits that are working to advance racial equity...
Emancipate NC and ACLU of NC Demand Transparency in Durham County Jail Policies
Emancipate NC has joined forces with the ACLU of North Carolina and a broad coalition of partners to demand greater transparency from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The focus: public access to jail policies, especially those governing the use of solitary...
They Fought Back: The Fuller Twins, the Police State, and the Long Tradition of Black Resistance
Emancipate NC Organizer Dedan Waicuri In a nation that still decorates its foundations with chains, shackles, and badges, the story of La’Dainian and La’Darion Fuller is more than just a headline or a celebration. It is a living testament to the ongoing struggle...
Greenville Free Legal Information Friday
Starting July 25 and again on August 1, 2025, Emancipate NC’s Dedan Waciuri and Attorney Dillon Sharpe will be hosting Free Legal Information Fridays in Greenville! Come connect with us at The Office, 804 West 5th Street, Greenville, NC from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM for free...
Court Update: Justice for Anthony Drayton
On June 25, 2025, Emancipate NC team members Dillon Sharpe, Dedan Waciuri, and Brandon Scicluna traveled to the Pitt County Courthouse to stand in solidarity with Anthony Drayton, who continues to fight false charges of resisting and assaulting police officers. In...
We Fight for Free Speech
Commentary by Dillon Sharpe On July 7, 2025, Emancipate NC Attorney Dillon Sharpe successfully defended a client in Mecklenburg County Superior Court who participated in a peaceful pro-Palestine demonstration that took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January...
We Ain’t Going Nowhere
Art Credit Kay Zeiss; Commentary by Krupa Bharodiya Ashanti McClean is 33 years old and has spent over a decade living openly as a trans woman. Before her incarceration, she was already receiving gender-affirming care and has been on hormones for years. She accessed...