It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Nancy Shakir, a friend to CJPC and a tireless activist for social justice in North Carolina, including educating citizens about the documented racial bias in North Carolina death penalty cases and the Racial Justice Act. Even as she struggled with her health, she NEVER stopped working to make North Carolina fair and just.
Nancy Shakir dedicated her life to serving others. When running for Congress in 2010, she shared that she was a retired educator who started her career in the classroom, but eventually served in administrative roles. The self-described activist wrote that she began her activism as a teen during the Civil Rights movement when she participated in demonstrations against Woolworth’s and other companies that did not hire people of color. She was a founding member and officer of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.
Shakir wrote opinion editorials for the Fayetteville Observer where she served as a member of the Community Advisory Board. She volunteered with the Cumberland County Progressives, hosted a local Progressives cable show and volunteered as a reader for the blind and as a reading buddy in Fayetteville schools.
Right until the end of her life, Nancy Shaker gave all she could to create social change. On a personal note, Ms. Nancy was a warm, beautiful soul who we all should strive to emulate. At this critical time in American history, Ms. Nancy should serve as the prototype for what our activism to protect social and civil rights should look like. We were privileged to work alongside her and we promise to use her life as an example of who and what CJPC should be.