Our Press

Emancipate NC Executive Director to Present 2024 Summer Reading Program Lecture

September 11, 2024 | Read More

Blagrove has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism.

Emancipate NC Executive Director Presents 2024 Summer Reading Program Lecture

September 25, 2024 | Read More

“Politics is about creating a better society,” she said. “When the people are a community that relies on one another, our power is amplified so that our democracy stays strong.”

Raleigh leaders address rise in homicides compared to 2023

August 13, 2024 | Read More

erwin Pittman grew up in Raleigh. He wears many hats, advocating for the city he calls home..."We have to address the root causes of why these individuals are committing their crimes in the first place," Pittman said. "Until we do that, it will be a vicious cycle."

After Juvenile Justice Reforms, Two States Return to Prosecuting More Teens as Adults

August 23, 2024 | Read More

“This grossly increases the number of children who will grow into and become a lifelong criminal, or at least, will never be able to get out under the thumb of the criminal justice system." - Dawn Blagrove

'He didn't deserve this': Mother seeks justice as arrest made in son's murder in Durham

August 23, 2024 | Read More

"Both of these boys have lost their lives—one is dead, and the other is likely trapped within the criminal justice system," Dawn Blagrove, Attorney with Emancipate NC said.

Raleigh officer on leave after alleged social media post claiming Juneteenth is a 'made-up holiday'

July 25, 2024 | Read More

"I feel like the department doesn't listen, and this is someone we've been ringing the bell on for years," Pittman said.

NC officer on leave after Juneteenth social media post, activists in Raleigh outraged

July 26, 2024 | Read More

"I just wonder when his reign of terror is going to end," questioned social justice activist Kerwin Pittman.

Many face misdemeanors after UNC pro-Palestinian protests; attorneys want charges dismissed

July 30, 2024 | Read More

Their attorneys -- Pooyan Ordoubadi of Lopez-Cobb and Ordoubadi, PLLC; and Jaelyn D. Miller of Emancipate NC -- said they want all these charges dropped, calling it a 'violation of their First Amendment at the hands of the police and university leaders'.

UNC police obtained warrant to search pro-Palestinian student group’s social media

July 12, 2024 | Read More

UNC officials made the request knowing it would chill free speech and make people afraid to participate in protests, [said Miller, a staff attorney for the civil rights organization Emancipate NC.] “I think just when it comes to this specific conflict, there seems to be a deep desire to crush out the movement at its core.”

‘Went to a party then drove around shooting at people.’ Court documents reveal more in deadly Charlotte shooting spree

July 13, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC, lobbied lawmakers to vote against the legislation.

“This bill strips away the rehabilitative nature for these juveniles, essentially, it will transfer these juveniles to adult court without even having a hearing to determine should they be there in the first place,” said Pittman.

Watch what NC politicians are doing to our elections, not what they’re saying about them

July 25, 2024 | Read More

Commentary by Dawn Blagrove: Watch what they DO and not what they SAY.

Governor Cooper vetoes bill that targets mask wearing, alters campaign finance laws

June 21, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC, said HB 237 actually weakens democracy.

Mask bans are growing in popularity. Critics call the trend a 'dog whistle' to quell protest.

July 8, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of the criminal justice organization Emancipate North Carolina, called her state’s new restrictions on mask-wearing a “dog whistle” to “frighten the community” against protest. “They are creating a narrative that they know will have a chilling effect on people exercising their constitutional rights to protest,” she said.

Darryl Williams died after a police tasing in Raleigh. A lawsuit is his family's hope for justice

July 8, 2024 | Read More

After her son's death, Williams received an outpouring of community support. The biggest form was in the legal and emotional support of local civil rights firm Emancipate NC.

N.C. Senate passes bill keeping autopsies public record, but advocates stay vigilant

June 15, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of Emancipate NC — a group that advocates for the rights of people in the prison and jail system — told North Carolina Health News he worried that without access to autopsy reports, public malfeasance, such as in cases when law enforcement officers kill someone, might not be exposed.

Juvenile crime reform debate heats up as Wake County makes new investment

June 17, 2024 | Read More

"Having them start in juvenile court creates a whole plethora of other resources that are available to help these children," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Should NC follow Maryland in pardoning low-level marijuana charges? One advocate thinks it should.

June 19, 2024 | Read More

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s decision to pardon more than 175,000 low-level marijuana convictions is “brave” and “commendable,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a nonprofit that fights against mass incarceration and racism. “It’s also common sense.”

Flood of dark money? What the new campaign finance provision in NC’s mask bill does

June 12, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks during a press conference against House Bill 237, the anti-mask and campaign finance bill, outside the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Mask Bill Passes General Assembly With Campaign Finance Change

June 13, 2024 | Read More

“Our General Assembly and a few men here have decided that we should no longer be able to protest if we are not protesting for the things that uphold and support white supremacy; That is an infringement on everyone’s democracy,” said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

North Carolina Lawmakers Approve Mask Bill That Allows Health Exemption After Pushback

June 15, 2024 | Read More

“It is imperative on the people that we are able to exercise our right to peacefully protest,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of criminal justice organization Emancipate NC.

North Carolina lawmakers approve mask bill that allows health exemption after pushback

June 11, 2024 | Read More

“It is imperative on the people that we are able to exercise our right to peacefully protest,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of criminal justice organization Emancipate NC.

North Carolina's updated mask bill passes House of Representatives 69-43

June 11, 2024 | Read More

"I am confident that this piece of legislation is designed to make people feel unsafe protesting, to make people feel afraid for protesting."
- Dawn Blagrove, Emancipate NC

North Carolinians push back against anti-protest, campaign finance legislation

June 11, 2024 | Read More

“We have a constitutional right to protest. However, our General assembly and a few men here have decided that we should no longer be able to protest if we are not protesting for the things that uphold and support white supremacy,”said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC. “That is an imprisonment on everyone’s democracy.”

Pro-Palestinian UNC protesters call for charges to be dropped, citing First Amendment violation

May 30, 2024 | Read More

Their attorneys -- Pooyan Ordoubadi of Lopez-Cobb and Ordoubadi, PLLC; and Jaelyn D. Miller of Emancipate NC -- said they want all these charges dropped, calling it a 'violation of their First Amendment at the hands of the police and university leaders'.

Protecting the right to protest is how we protect democracy in North Carolina

May 31, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate North Carolina and North Carolina For the People Action have joined with the NC NAACP and ACLU of NC to condemn HB 237, the current anti-protest bill being discussed in the state legislature.

North Carolina hotline helps former convicts find jobs, resources

June 8, 2024 | Read More

“It is amazing to connect an individual coming home with resources they need, such as a job, immediately. We know this can guide them to a trusted source to make a difference,” said Pittman.

A Confederate statue in North Carolina praises 'faithful slaves.' Some citizens want it gone

May 25, 2024 | Read More

"It's really a racially hostile environment for them at this point in the county because they're well known for having spoken out against this statute," said Jaelyn Miller, attorney for Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County. "It's made some folks fearful to continue doing rallies and demonstrations because of that."

Pro-Palestinian protesters appear in Orange County court for first time

May 30, 2024 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller, an attorney with Emancipate NC, is one of the lawyers representing some of the people charged.

“I just challenge folks to remember that the First Amendment belongs to everyone, not just those who agree with you, and without it, we could not continue to be the democracy that we are,” Miller said.

Black residents in NC sue to remove monument to ‘faithful slaves’

May 30, 2024 | Read More

“The Supreme Court has said monuments at government buildings are a ‘means of expression’ and ‘government speech,’” Ian Mance, who represents the Plaintiffs on behalf of the Durham-based civil rights organization Emancipate NC, said in a release.

North Carolina files lawsuit to remove Confederate monument ‘in appreciation of our faithful slaves’

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Ian Mance, another attorney for the group, said the location of the monument was intentional. “It was put up in the front yard of what was soon to be the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to communicate to people that members of the Black community could not expect to get justice inside of that courthouse,” Mance said.

Eastern NC residents sue to have Confederate monument to 'faithful slaves' removed

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Ian Mance, another attorney for the plaintiffs, said the historical record is clear that the monument was meant to send a message. “It was put up in the front yard of what was soon to be the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to communicate to people that members of the Black community could not expect to get justice inside of that courthouse,” he said.

Black residents in North Carolina county sue to remove racist statue

May 24, 2024 | Read More

Attorney Jaelyn Miller of Emancipate NC, an organization working against structural racism, said the monument is particularly offensive even compared to other Confederate statues. “I think this is the most egregious statue I’ve ever seen,” Miller said on Friday.

Confederate monument to 'faithful slaves' must be removed, suit says

May 22, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC, a nonprofit organization, joined with Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County to raise a billboard as a call to action against a Confederate monument in Columbia.

NC House declines to concur with Senate changes to law governing mask wearing

May 22, 2024 | Read More

Advocates and organizations including Disability Rights NC, Emancipate NC, and the ACLU of North Carolina spoke out against the bill at last week’s committee hearing, criticizing both the mask ban and provisions that target protesters.

North Carolina residents sue to have Confederate monument to ‘faithful slaves’ removed

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN she feels county commissioners have a responsibility to ensure that racist messages are not being displayed to the Black community. “This is sort of the only monument in the country on public land that textually endorses slavery,” Miller said.

Courts: A ‘Tweak’ or a ‘Rollback’ for Raise the Age?

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman, director of policy and program for Emancipate NC, told the Senate Judiciary committee last week that the change would potentially put juveniles in a position to where they “would no longer be able to gain a sense of restorative justice.” “The science still rings true that juveniles that go through the juvenile legal system are less likely to reoffend,” he said.

A proposed NC law would limit family and public access to death records

May 21, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of Emancipate NC said Britt and other gatekeepers of the criminal justice system are preventing the public from obtaining information it has the right to know. “To shield those things from individuals shows a lack of compassion for the citizens he’s supposed to serve,” Pittman said.

Tyrrell County residents sue to have “Faithful Slaves” monument removed from courthouse

May 21, 2024 | Read More

Some believe county commissioners have been silent to avoid controversy.

“They don’t want to be seen as supporting this explicitly racist monument,” Miller said. “They now are going to be forced to defend this explicitly racist monument.”

'The Silent Struggle': A mental health town hall conversation brought to you by ABC11

May 16, 2024 | Read More

"The Silent Struggle" featured an expert panel of guests talking for an hour about various mental health challenges and resources available...Mark Simon, Mary Wise, and Kerwin Pittman rounded out the guests featured at the town hall.

North Carolina Considers Bringing Back Mask Ban With Exception For KKK

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman, a social justice advocate in Raleigh, said he also has concerns about how the bill will disproportionately affect people of color. “With this bill passed, law enforcement will begin to stop Black and brown people in their communities who may be wearing masks for health concerns or safety concerns,” Pittman said

North Carolina House of Representatives take on bill to ban most public mask wearing

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC Director Dawn Blagrove does not agree.

"What happens is that every time our General Assembly...criminalizes more behavior," she said, "ultimately -- when the Palestinian protests die down -- the people who bear the burden of those new crimes are Black people, and that is the problem."

NC Senate panel approves controversial bill that targets protests, bans masks in public

May 15, 2024 | Read More

Advocates from other organizations including Disability Rights NC, Emancipate NC, and the ACLU of North Carolina all spoke out against provisions in the bill that target protesters.

Law restricting mask-wearing in public moves one step closer to passing

May 15, 2024 | Read More

Public testimony came from individuals representing the Emancipate NC, ACLU of North Carolina, the NC Justice Center, and Disability Rights North Carolina. They were all opposed to the rule, including several state legislators who voiced their concerns.

Triangle advocates praise DOJ move to reclassify marijuana

May 16, 2024 | Read More

"If you are black in America, you have about 3.4 times more chance of being prosecuted and criminalized because of marijuana," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Protest bill, to criminalize mask-wearing for health reasons, passes Senate committee

May 14, 2024 | Read More

“It is absolutely unconscionable to create a law where you build in exceptions or assume that there is a certain portion of the population that will be protected simply because of who they are,” Blagrove said. “If that is true, then so is the opposite. There is a certain part of the population that is more exposed to harm, who has less Constitutional rights because of this bill. We asked this committee to pull this bill from consideration, take more time and do what is right, not just for the white grannies, but for all grannies.”

Juvenile justice rollbacks, penalties on protesters, new sex crimes laws advancing in NC Senate

May 14, 2024 | Read More

"The science still rings true that juveniles that go through the juvenile legal system are less likely to reoffend, to recommit crimes," Pittman told the committee Tuesday. "So why are we starting them off, expediting them, to the adult criminal system? It just doesn't make sense."

Hundreds call new NC recidivism hotline within days of it opening: 'We love them and we care'

May 14, 2024 | Read More

"I know that that real-time source of information can make or break somebody's successful reentry," Pittman said. "I'm hoping to have an impact on individuals coming home, know that they are loved and we see them. We love them and we care."

How marijuana reclassification could affect North Carolinians

May 7, 2024 | Read More

“What it should do is send a very strong indicator to the people of North Carolina, to our legislators, to our district attorneys and law enforcement...that there is no longer an appetite for criminalizing this kind of behavior,” said Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC.

Is it Easier to Get Police Videos in Certain North Carolina Cities? What We Found.

May 7, 2024 | Read More

The situation can be particularly frustrating for people who are trying to clear their name after a clash with police. That’s because history has shown that courts and the general public often believe police officers, said Ian Mance, an attorney for the civil rights organization Emancipate NC.

“One of the kind of insidious things about this body cam law is it creates a situation where police officials can miss characterize your actions, and you can’t tell your side of the story,” Mance said.

A new hotline connects formerly incarcerated people with re-entry services in NC

May 9, 2024 | Read More

"You'd be surprised how many individuals come home and don't just have simple identification," Pittman emphasized. "And we know without identification, you can't receive benefits that you may be eligible for, you can't receive a job, you can't receive housing. And so everything kind of plays into each other."

Possible change to marijuana schedule status could have wide-ranging effect

May 1, 2024 | Read More

"We know that there is a racial element to the way that these crimes are charged. We know that that racial element and disproportionality impacts not just people's everyday lives, but also their rights to vote their right, their ability to be able to find affordable housing," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Blagrove described the scheduling change as "a step in the right direction," but urged state lawmakers to take further action.

Transparency vs. security: Nonprofit challenges redacted Durham County Jail policies

May 6, 2024 | Read More

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law students Nikolai Wise and John Schengber argued before the judge on behalf of Emancipate NC.

"The jail is a public institution, taxpayer funded,” Schengber said. “So, the jail should be regulated in a way that the public is aware of."

Lawsuit against Durham County Sheriff’s Office over jail policy records continues despite hurdles

May 7, 2024 | Read More

As part of the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic at the University of North Carolina, law students John Schengber and Nikolai Wise represented Emancipate NC’s case in court.

“We have been deprived of actually viewing the policies that matter the most,” Schengber said. “Ultimately, these are Durham County community members who are being held in the jail and confined under a system that is not very transparent.”

Durham’s City Council is Enforcing Its Rules of Decorum in Ways It Wasn’t Before

April 5, 2024 | Read More

“Durham has set a precedent over a large number of years that if the chambers are full, there is overflow in the lobby,” Simpson says. “That is what the public has come to expect as part of the accommodation for access in-person. Once you open it up to the public … and create this expectation that this is part of the accommodation for an open meeting, they need to continue doing that unless they have a really good justification.”

Hotline launching to help former inmates find resources while acclimating back to communities

April 26, 2024 | Read More

“Individuals looking for re-entry resources and services can call into this call center via this hotline and reach somebody, a live agent,” Kerwin Pittman, the Executive Director of Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services Inc., also known as RREPS, said.

'I can be a citizen in society': New call center for people reentering society takes more than 100 callers on first day

April 30, 2024 | Read More

Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services Executive Director Kerwin Pittman created the call center.

According to Pittman, the call center was funded by donations and grants and is the first such call center in North Carolina.

“This goes hand-in-hand with Second Chance Month,” Pittman said. “We want to make sure this hotline will be around for years and evolve into something never imagined before.”

UPDATED: Raleigh Cops Tell Judge that Allowing the Public to See Footage of a Botched Raid Would be “Dangerous”

March 27, 2024 | Read More

Simpson also disputed the RPD’s claim that there was no misconduct: “The officers did engage in unlawful conduct by entering the home simultaneously with their announcement. North Carolina law requires ‘Knock and Announce’ for warrant execution.”

Raleigh police raided wrong home in 2021. Judge denies public release of body-cam video

April 1, 2024 | Read More

...according to Elizabeth Simpson, an adjunct law professor and director of the civil legal assistance clinic at UNC. “A main driver for the Abboud family’s petition for general public release of the body-camera footage is to make other families aware of what’s going on in their neighborhoods, and to pressure the police into higher standards that would prevent situations like what occurred at the Abbouds’ residence that day,” the plaintiffs’ legal defense said in a statement.

Edenton officials seek hearing on lawsuit blocking Confederate statue's relocation

April 4, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC and Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan recently paid for this billboard on U.S. 17 in Bertie County to express their opposition to a Confederate monument’s continued location near the Edenton waterfront.

Lawsuit says Raleigh police tased man 6 times before he died. Police say it was just 3.

March 20, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, said that they filed the lawsuit because Raleigh leaders refuse to hold officers accountable for this and other interactions.

“Because everyone who you elect and pay to create accountability is failing to do it,” Blagrove said.

Lawsuit seeks justice for NC man's death in police custody

March 25, 2024 | Read More

Blagrove - also the executive director of Emancipate NC - said this case is not only about accountability, but it also aims to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future.

It aims to make a change in the way tasers are handled.

"To ensure that this lawsuit is litigated in a way that is fair and just for this family," said Blagrove, "but more importantly, in a way that results in getting a change in policies, a change in practices, a change in procedures. "

In historic NC hearing, Joe Freeman Britt’s troubled past as prosecutor looms

March 27, 2024 | Read More

“If this is how he was operating, what was it that he was doing that made him an appealing candidate to serve on this executive committee?” Mance of Emancipate NC said. “I don’t think anything he was doing was a secret.”

Council gets more advice on Office of Community Safety

March 4, 2024 | Read More

“What we see from these programs is that when resources, police resources, are not being depleted by these mental health calls, they're able to be diverted and focused on violent crime,” Miller said. “And that's why we see a reduction in the crime rate.”

Lawsuit: Darryl Williams was stunned by police six times during fatal arrest

March 18, 2024 | Read More

"We have no doubt this lawsuit is strong," Attorney Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC said. "We take no joy in this, There's no doubt the city of Raleigh has turned a blind eye to negligence over and over again."

Family of Darryl Williams files wrongful death lawsuit against city of Raleigh and Chief of Police

March 18, 2024 | Read More

Raleigh Police have said Williams was tased three times. But the federal lawsuit filed Monday by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the group Emancipate NC claims it was six times, including once while Williams was in handcuffs.

Raleigh joins forces with Department of Justice to address gun violence

February 15, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a nonprofit social activist organization, sent a letter in April to the DOJ about patterns and practices in policing.

"We are excited and pleased that the Department of Justice took our concerns seriously and selected Raleigh Police Department to be one of the participants in one of these crime-prevention programs."

Raleigh Police, Department of Justice announce new partnership to tackle crime

February 15, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director for Emancipate NC, says she’s skeptical about the impact.

"Raleigh Police Department does not have a problem with training; it has a problem with culture,” Blagrove said.

Campbell Law to host NCBA Minorities in the Profession Pre-Law Conference

February 19, 2024 | Read More

Executive Director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove will be the keynote speaker. As a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and N.C. Central School of Law, Blagrove has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism.

Vance County Jail to charge medical copays starting Feb. 1

January 30, 2024 | Read More

Social activist Kerwin Pittman believes these copays are a step in the wrong direction. He was incarcerated for 11.5 years and said he had his own experiences with copays while serving his time.

“On its face, $5 to $20 may not seem like a lot to us. But when you are incarcerated, and you’re only making 40 cents a day, this is a lot of money for copaying and medical attention,” he said.

Community activists demand answers after Raleigh police shooting: 'Problem with transparency'

February 12, 2024 | Read More

"I'm not surprised Raleigh is keeping this close to the chest, because they definitely have a problem with transparency," said Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove "The Raleigh Police Department is either incapable or unwilling to learn from its own mistakes."

Social justice advocates warn judges’ partisanship means ‘there are no guardrails’

February 14, 2024 | Read More

“Our courts have been, and should be, the guard rails. They should function as a way for checks and balances against unconstitutional things, things that are just unfair, things that give one group of people privileges or access to resources over another,” said Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, during a webinar Tuesday night. “Right now in North Carolina, there are no guard rails. And when there are no guard rails, anything can happen.”

Legal Nonprofit Emancipate NC Sues Durham Sheriff’s Office Over Redacted Jail Policies

January 25, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC, which advocates against mass incarceration and racism in the criminal justice system, submitted a public records request in April for “all written Durham jail policies.” The sheriff’s office took six months to fulfill the request, and put blocks of black ink over many sections, including most of the rules about restraining devices.

NC Democratic Party leader vows to focus more attention, resources on judicial races

January 25, 2024 | Read More

Racial justice organizations Emancipate NC and the North Carolina Black Alliance held a press conference after Earls dropped the lawsuit, praising the power of collective, organized action in defending against the “racism behind the attack on Justice Earls.”

The Majority v. Anita Earls

January 29, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, said at a news conference that the investigation is one example of the “unrelenting trauma and hostility that Black women lawyers have to face every single day in North Carolina just to do our jobs.”

Vigil marks 1 year since Darryl Williams died in Raleigh Police custody

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove confirmed to ABC11 that they are working with Williams' family to file a lawsuit against Raleigh Police in the next two months.

One year later: Family, friends of Daryl Williams gather for vigil

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Accountability organizer Kerwin pittman with Emancipate NC was disappointed with Wake County DA's decision to not file charges against the officers involved.

Op-Ed: Durham Should Pay the $6 Million That the City Owes Darryl Howard

January 24, 2024 | Read More

Who would suspect that Concord would be more progressive than Durham on the subject of compensating victims of police corruption?

- Elizabeth Simpson, strategic director and attorney at Emancipate NC

Ethics complaint against NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls is dismissed

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks at a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., last August, defending Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.

Family and friends gather for vigil to honor Darryl Williams one year after his death

January 17, 2024 | Read More

“We still need accountability,” activist Kerwin Pittman said. “Demanding justice non-stop until we get it.”

‘It is not over’: Family demands justice 1 year after fatal encounter with Raleigh police

January 18, 2024 | Read More

“Even though the district attorney chose not to charge those officers who viciously murdered Darryl Williams, that don’t mean we give up, y’all,” said Kerwin Pittman, who works with civil rights organization Emancipate N.C. “We keep fighting for justice, y’all,” he said. “Because it is not over.”

October – December 2023

Body Cameras Were Sold as a Tool of Police Reform. Ten Years Later, Most of the Footage is Kept From Public View

December 18, 2023 | Read More

“There is no way for you to watch the video without essentially going into the belly of the beast,” said Dawn Blagrove, who crisscrosses the state to accompany relatives to police stations to view footage.

Advocates want Raleigh to send unarmed responders to some 911 calls

December 14, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of the group Emancipate NC said that can prevent some violent or deadly interactions with police and save resources.

"We definitely know that this program, if implemented correctly, will save lives," Pittman said.

Ethics complaint against NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls is dismissed

January 17,2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks at a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., last August, defending Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.

A Mother Lost Both Her Children to Durham’s Department of Social Services. She Didn’t Stand a Chance Against NC’s Child Welfare System.

December 13, 2023 | Read More

Since 2018, North Carolina courts have terminated the rights of nearly 1,200 parents per year, including an average of 32 per year in Durham, according to state records. Only 30 percent of the 5,020 North Carolina children who left foster care in the 2022-23 fiscal year were reunited with their parents. In Durham, the reunification rate was just 22 percent, less than half of the national average.

Citizens weigh in on Raleigh’s 911 alternative response program

December 12, 2023 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller is a staff attorney with Emancipate NC, which is one of the organizations that make up Raleigh’s HEART Coalition. The coalition pushed for community response teams, similar to Durham’s H.E.A.R.T program.

“We want those community response teams for sure,” Miller said. “That’s typically mental health clinicians, paramedics, EMTs. That is the crux, I think, of the program we’re seeking.”

NCDPS Office of Violence Prevention Appoints Community Violence Advisory Board

December 12, 2023 | Read More

NCDPS Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr appointed 25 violence prevention leaders to serve on the state’s first Community Violence Advisory Board. The board will serve as a centralized strategic resource connecting the growing number of programs working across law enforcement, public health, social services and other disciplines to reduce violence and firearm misuse in N.C. communities. [Kerwin Pittman, Emancipate NC Program/Policy Manager, will serve as one of the violence prevention leader].

Vigil challenges governor, North Carolinians to reimagine criminal justice system

December 7, 2023 | Read More

[Toia] Potts did not struggle with drugs or alcohol, but she enrolled in a substance abuse rehabilitative program because those who successfully completed it were allowed to invite their family members to a pizza party...Potts, now an organizer at Emancipate NC, recounted her experience to a Zoom panel last week. The conversation was about “keeping families together,” emphasizing the ways incarceration affects not just people charged with crimes, but also their entire families.

Raleigh working on alternative responses to 911 calls, asking for feedback

December 7, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman is a social justice activist at Emancipate NC, one of the partners of the Raleigh H.E.A.R.T program.

“What we want to do is pair the right professionals with the right situation,” Pittman said.

He envisions a program in Raleigh very similar to Durham’s H.E.A.R.T program.

“What we want to do is stop individuals who are in a crisis having interactions with law enforcement,” Pittman said.

Best interest of the child: No-win scenario

November 29, 2023 | Read More

[Elizabeth] Simpson prepared for her first hearing as Potts’ attorney like she would for any other court appearance....But abuse, neglect, and dependency courts don’t operate like other courtrooms. Simpson learned this when Rhinehart threatened to jail her for bringing people to the hearing to support Potts or discussing the case with third parties. “She was like, ‘This is a confidential courtroom, Miss Simpson. You cannot share anything that happens in this courtroom.’”

Hall of Shame 2023: The Charlotte Area’s Worst of the Worst

November 29, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC, for which Puckett-Williams serves on the board, tweeted, “We are deeply concerned that [Puckett-Williams] has been fired by [ACLU of NC]. The policing of language by anyone, but especially of a formerly incarcerated Black woman, is inconsistent with our organization’s morals and values.

No-Win Scenario

November 28, 2023 | Read More

Representing Potts opened [Elizabeth] Simpson’s eyes to a part of the legal system that operates unlike any other and disproportionately affects Black, low-wealth parents who have been accused of abuse or neglect in Durham and across the state. According to state records, Potts, who is Black, was one of 34 Durham parents who lost their rights in the 2021-22 fiscal year; only one was white.

Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan

November 28, 2023 | Read More

SCSJ and Emancipate NC are representing Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan in their fight to remove a Confederate soldier statute from the town’s historic waterfront. The Coalition took root on June 19, 2021 – Juneteenth, which commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, nearly two and a half years after it had been issued by President Lincoln.

Judge Orders Trans Female Prisoner to Women’s Facility

November 22, 2023 | Read More

Inscoe was represented by Elizabeth Simpson, strategic director at Emancipate NC in her battle against the state’s Department of Adult Correction. Emancipate NC previously represented Inscoe during her ultimately successful fight for gender-affirming surgery last year.

Ethics probe into North Carolina justice's comments continues after federal court refuses to halt it

November 22, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC,... and other speakers defended and praised Associate Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls for filing a federal lawsuit to block a state ethics panel from investigating her public comments that she says are protected by the First Amendment.

NC prison officials must transfer transgender woman to a women’s prison, judge rules

November 21, 2023 | Read More

Elizabeth Simpson, an attorney at Emancipate NC who has been working with Inscoe on her case for more than two years, said the ruling is a huge relief considering the stress and uncertainty Inscoe has dealt with trying to advocate for herself through the prison system’s grievance process, and ultimately, through the courts.

What happens when private security patrols public streets?

November 7, 2023 | Read More

According to The New York Times, most major cities now have at least three times as many security guards as police officers on their streets. In the past couple of weeks, private security guards began patrolling areas in Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

NC Supreme Court hears arguments on fate of Confederate monument honoring Zebulon Vance in Asheville

November 1, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC attorney Jaelyn Miller said the implications of the case are bigger than the issue at hand.

"This court, in overturning that decision, would be stepping in and overturning the will of the people and the will of the duly elected officials in Asheville, and that should alarm all of us,” Miller said.

City leaders debate whether private security group should carry guns in downtown Raleigh

October 31, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman is a social justice activist with Emancipate NC. The city of Raleigh's decision to hire armed private security for the downtown transit center raises many questions for him. Pittman said he felt unarmed security was the "more palatable" option.

"I think hiring private security in the transit area is a recipe for disaster," Pittman said. "How will they be trained? What authority would they have over these individuals as actual citizens patrolling this area?"

When will the NC Supreme Court hear Vance Monument arguments? - The Asheville Citizen Times

October 27, 2023 | Read More

"It puts us in line with other cities across the South and across the nation that are taking these steps toward recognizing what these monuments stand for and coming up with a way to see the future differently.”

Miles and Vance Monument Taskforce co-chair Oralene Simmons are organizing a media briefing in Raleigh following the Nov. 1 arguments and will be joined by Noel Nickle, a local Vance family descendant; Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer; and Jaelyn Miller, community lawyering fellow at Emancipate NC.

‘Life begins at conception’ court ruling could profoundly affect NC families, legal experts sayn near Uptown identified

October 27, 2023 | Read More

“I think the leap and the stretch and the legal gymnastics that it took to include that is very pointed,” said Dawn Blagrove, an attorney and the executive director of Emancipate NC, a social justice organization that combats structural racism, including in the criminal justice system. “I think he went out of his way to do it.”

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Durham County and Courthouse Leaders to Engage on Reforms to Foster Care System

October 23, 2023 | Read More

When Emancipate NC issued a report in 2022 on county-level reforms that the Durham Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Durham courthouse could enact to improve this system, most county leaders refused to meet with us. They told us it was too sensitive a matter and their lawyers advised them not to engage. But how DSS chooses to approach child and family welfare is a matter of public policy, just as much as the practices of the police, the sheriff, and the jail are.

What if Raleigh Had a HEART?

October 18, 2023 | Read More

More services such as shelters, mental health care and drug rehabilitation are needed downtown, according to Jaelyn Miller, a community lawyering fellow with nonprofit Emancipate NC. Right now, when someone has a mental health crisis in public, “we only have one response … they go to jail or they go to the emergency department,” she says.

“When you only have two solutions, you end up funneling everyone into one of two solutions, even though the problem is a spectrum of possibilities,” Miller says.

CRIME CMPD officer who shot, killed man near Uptown identified

October 10, 2023 | Read More

Because Lopez was walking away, attorney and executive director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove told WCNC Charlotte it is imperative the body camera footage of the police officer is released for transparency.

"Law enforcement needs to make sure that it is doing everything that it can do to be fully transparent with the community as quickly as possible, and to provide access to that body cam footage that is being paid for with tax dollars," Blagrove said.

Victims in drug scheme react to former RPD detective guilty plea, sentence

October 4, 2023 | Read More

"The Raleigh Police Department goes unchecked and is held unaccountable for the harms it causes Black and brown communities. For that, the city ought to be ashamed and Lorrin Freeman should be ashamed of herself," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

July – September 2023

Salisbury, Rowan settle suit with elderly woman who was pulled by hair at police stop

September 28, 2023 | Read More

Holmes said the case “sends a message to law enforcement and policy makers about the continued need to treat people with respect and protect their Constitutional rights during traffic stops.”

Holmes, who directs the civil litigation clinic at the North Carolina Central University School of Law, was assisted in the long-running case by at least 20 of his law students, he said. Bottom was also represented by Ian Mance, an attorney for Emancipate NC, a Durham-based civil right organization.

SCSJ asks Edenton to request a hearing on monument restraining order

September 13, 2023 | Read More

“The Confederate soldier statue in Edenton, like Confederate statues everywhere, pays homage and respect to America’s racism,” said Jaelyn Miller, community lawyering fellow for Emancipate NC, “The (Move the Monument) Coalition and citizens of Edenton deserve to have their elected officials follow through on their commitment to relocate this statue. The lawsuit holding up that commitment isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

Juvenile petition filed for 16-year-old student after Durham school stabbing

September 11, 2023 | Read More

Restorative justice is a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.

"Durham has a really terrific restorative justice program," [Attorney and Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn] Blagrove said. "This is the perfect situation to diffuse the situation; to have parties involved speak with one another [and] work through their grievances."

When Politicians Want to Attack the Courts, They Make Black Women Their Targets

September 9, 2023 | Read More

“The message that they’re sending is that North Carolina is a state where Black people, Black women need to be quiet, they should not speak up on the harms that face our communities, they should not talk about systemic and institutional racism that exists in every system all across this country, but specifically here in North Carolina,” [Attorney and Emanciapte NC Executive Director Dawn] Blagrove said.

Teenage boy accused of assaulting police will face adult court

September 5, 2023 | Read More

Attorney Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, an advocacy organization that has voiced support for the family, said that the...

Black North Carolina Supreme Court Judge Alleges She’s Facing Disciplinary Action After Speaking Out About ‘Lack of Diversity’ In State’s Courts; Hits Back with a Lawsuit

September 4, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls,” Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC told WTVD.

North Carolina's GOP leaders push to remove the only black woman Supreme Court judge for speaking up against racial bias

September 1, 2023 | Read More

“This is the beginning of a rallying cry for support for Justice Earls.” Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove says she knows this is just another hidden agenda. “What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people,” Blagrove said.

North Carolina judge investigated for saying racial bias exists files lawsuit

September 1, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the [judicial complaint] process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people,” Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said to WTVD in North Carolina. “And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls.”

Gaston family wants fairness as teens face adult charges

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"If these were white children riding their bikes, trying to get home, the situation would have been handled very differently,” [Emancipate NC's Director Dawn] Blagrove said. “I really believe that, because these are Black boys, this district attorney is using this situation to try to appear ‘tough on crime’ in a way that is having an absolutely absurd result.”

'Taking us back to Jim Crow': Black lawyers say NC Supreme Court investigation motivated by racism

August 30, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, who leads the civil rights group Emancipate NC, said the investigation is not only an attempt to remove Earls from office, but is part of a broad, Republican-backed effort to silence Black people and politicians with recent bills and laws making it easier for police to charge protesters with felony crimes, or to enact stricter voting rules.

“We are currently under a regime that is dead set on taking us back to Jim Crow,” she said.

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice refuses to back down

August 31, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls,” executive director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove told ABC 11.

Supporters claim North Carolina Supreme Court justice is being ‘silenced’ amid lawsuit

August 31, 2023 | Read More

“What we are seeing happen to Justice Earls is a harbinger for what’s coming for us all and that is the demise of democracy,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Suing Over Investigation into her Comments About Diversity

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"What is happening to Justice Earls is a microcosm of what is happening to every Black, brown and marginalized person in North Carolina at the hands of elected officials who are determined to drag this state back to the days of Jim Crow," commentator Dawn Blagrove said.

Supporters defend NC Supreme Court justice who filed lawsuit against judicial board

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls," said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

Civil rights advocates defend a North Carolina court justice suing over a probe for speaking out

August 30, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, Emancipate NC's executive director and an attorney, said the unjust investigations serve as examples of the “unrelenting trauma and hostility that Black women lawyers have to face every single day in North Carolina just to do our jobs.”

NC Family Demands Fair Treatment as Teen Brothers Face Adult Charges

August 25, 2023 | Read More

"If these were white children riding their bikes, trying to get home, the situation would have been handled very differently," [Emancipate NC's] Attorney Dawn Blagrove contended. "I really believe that, because these are Black boys, this district attorney is using this situation to try to appear 'tough on crime' in a way that is having an absolutely absurd result."

Grandmother responds to police actions after 10-yr-old autistic grandson handcuffed

August 24, 2023 | Read More

“If this officer had approached this child and this family with compassion with understanding and with humanity this baby would not have spent more than an hour in handcuffs would not have been involuntarily committed. Questioned without her being present he was treated like a criminal that in its essence is the problem,” said Attorney Dawn Blagrove

A blind man waited hours for his ride. Can Raleigh fix its paratransit system?

August 18, 2023 | Read More

“I came here to talk about proactive policing,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. “And I have the perfect solution: Instead of having 15 Raleigh police officers show up to harass people in southeast Raleigh, why don’t you send them to pick up some of these blind folks that are waiting for four hours at a time?”

Monday numbers: Lack of air conditioning in state prisons is “cooking people alive”

August 14, 2023 | Read More

“It’s just cooking people alive,” said Cierra Cobb, the prison/jail coordinator, family advocate and a podcast host for the advocacy group Emancipate NC. “Some days were unbearable. Everybody was in there sweating...It was causing tension in the block because everybody’s hot.”

Gaston County Teen Faces Attempted Murder Charge for 2021 Tangle with Police

August 4, 2023 | Read More

“Clearly the justice system here in Gastonia is not color-blind, but turns a blind eye to law enforcement brutality,” Kerwin Pittman [from Emancaipte NC] said on Thursday. “Clearly the DA is colluding with law enforcement to try to find these 15-year-old kids guilty.”

Family says NC teen who put officer in headlock was defending his brother

August 4, 2023 | Read More

"Apparently, we have to add 'riding a bike while Black' to the list of activities that can subject Black children to state sanctioned violence," Emancipate NC executive director and attorney Dawn Blagrove.

Family alleges boys mistreated by police

August 3, 2023 | Read More

"Clearly, in Gaston County, as well as Gastonia, there are two types of legal systems… One for black and brown people, and another for those who are not black and brown," Kerwin Pittman said. "(The boys) were unjustly targeted, arrested, brutalized, humiliated... All they wanted to do was go home."

Family outraged after teens charged with attempted murder after assaulting police officer

August 4, 2023 | Read More

“Multiple officers jump on these individuals as they’re on the ground. These are 15-year-old kids for God’s sake. These are kids ... trying to ride their bike home,” Kerwin Pittman from Emancipate NC said.

NC leaders discuss criminal justice reform and changes being made in the state

July 18, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate N.C. executive director Dawn Blagrove said she knows leaders on both sides are having discussions about possible changes but she doesn’t feel like change will happen anytime soon.

“There’s simply not political will to create the changes to make a fair and equitable criminal justice system here in North Carolina,” Blagrove said.

NC’s foster care system is rife with injustice. It’s about to get worse | Opinion

July 10, 2023 | Read More

"A peek behind the curtain would also reveal scores of beloved children who have been brutally separated from their parents by bureaucrats and systematically rerouted into adoptive homes that are wealthier and whiter, on average."

CMPD chief lauds governor, legislators for changes to bond and pretrial release

July 08, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate North Carolina Executive Director Dawn Blagrove described the potential 48-hour wait for a judge as “arbitrary,” and warned that it could have adverse effects, especially on people of color, The Observer reported in May.

April – June 2023

Durham mom wonders why county won’t place her kids with family in Georgia

June 25, 2023 | Read More

“DSS operates in Durham County in a manner that is overwhelmingly racist toward Black families and Black children,” Dawn Blagrove said. “DSS is emerging in a way that works with systemic and institutional racism to keep black families apart.”

High-profile attorney Ben Crump petitions the release of body-cam footage in the killing of a Black man by Wallace PD

June 23, 2023 | Read More

“It is sad that we have to file a lawsuit, a public records lawsuit, just to get a video released," Ben Crump told the crowd. "You know, transparency leads to truth."

Why the Wake DA says Raleigh police officers acted lawfully in man’s tasing death

June 22, 2023 | Read More

"District Attorney Lorrin Freeman decision not to prosecute the officers who killed Darryl Tyree Williams is disgraceful,” [Emancipate NC] wrote. “She has once again failed to protect the Black people of Wake County by rubber-stamping the murder of an unarmed man by Raleigh Police Department."

North Carolina prosecutor won’t charge officers involved in death of man during arrest

June 21, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a criminal justice reform group assisting Williams’ family, called Freeman’s decision not to prosecute “disgraceful. She has once again failed to protect the Black people of Wake County by rubberstamping the murder of an unarmed man by Raleigh Police Department.”

No charges filed against Raleigh officers in death of man tased multiple times in police custody

June 21, 2023 | Read More

"[I am] disgusted by the flagrant reminder that DA Lorrin Freeman gave us today that Black lives do not matter," Dawn Blagrove said.

DA: No charges for Raleigh officers after man died in their custody

June 21, 2023 | Read More

“It is sickening that still right now, right now, we have to stand here and console black mothers, ” said Dawn Blagrove, the Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Wake DA: No charges for police officers who [tased] man outside sweepstakes parlor

June 21, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove claimed [Wake DA] Freeman has a "documented history" that shows her "unwillingness to protect all people in the community."

“Lorrin Freeman should be ashamed of her inability to bring charges in this case," Blagrove said.

Ben Crump, others demand public release of video in James Lanier’s death

June 21, 2023 | Read More

“James should be with us,” said Dawn Blagrove, an attorney with Emancipate NC.

Family urges law enforcement to release video

June 21, 2023 | Read More

In the conference on Wednesday, [Lanier's mother Janet] Brice and the family’s attorneys [including Emancipate NC] want the public to see for themselves and have their own opinion.

Raleigh advocates push for HEART program to come to the city

June 12, 2023 | Read More

Social justice advocates, like Kerwin Pittman, believes they could have prevented the deaths of individuals going through a mental health crisis, citing Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez as an example to where HEART could have helped.

Attorney Ben Crump, family of Darryl Williams addresses autopsy findings

June 9, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC filed a 12-page report to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Raleigh Police Department. The report accuses RPD of using excessive force, disregarding policies without consequence, racial profiling and spreading victim-blaming propaganda after officer-involved shootings.

Ben Crump: Wake DA needs to ‘do its part’ in case of man who died after being tased by police

June 9, 2023 | Read More

“Homicide is the death of a person at the hands of another person,” Dawn Blagrove said. “What that means is that someone has to be held responsible. We don’t want any more proactive policing, we don’t want any more Jim Crow, we don’t want any more stop and frisk.”

Attorneys call for officers to be fired, charged after Darryl Tyree Williams' autopsy release

June 9, 2023 | Read More

"What put him in a grave was tasers. He was electrocuted in a parking lot while he was minding his own business," said Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. "And we need District Attorney Lorrin Freeman to do her job."

Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump demands charges for officers after Darryl Williams' autopsy released

June 9, 2023 | Read More

"We don't want any more Jim Crow. We don't want any more stop and frisk. We don't want any more for the Black people of Raleigh to constantly have to show their freedom papers to be able to live," said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police call for criminal charges after autopsy findings

June 9, 2023 | Read More

Attorney Dawn Blagrove with the nonprofit group Emancipate N.C. also spoke at the news conference Friday and called for Freeman to bring charges against the officers involved in Williams’ death.

Attorney Ben Crump, family of Darryl Williams respond to autopsy findings in emotional address

June 7, 2023 | Read More

"We will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this senseless loss of life are held accountable and that meaningful changes are implemented to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring in the future,” wrote Dawn Blagrove and Kenneth Abbarno.

Weekly News Roundup: Plaintiffs Reach Settlement Over Wrongful Raleigh Police Raid

June 3, 2023 | Read More

“The Raleigh informant scandal disrupted the lives of many innocent people and caused unnecessary trauma to our clients and others who were subjected to frightening police raids and arrests through no fault of their own,” said Ian Mance.

Raleigh settles lawsuit linked to fired Raleigh detective’s drug raid on wrong home

June 2, 2023 | Read More

"Since the lawsuit was filed more than a year ago, the plaintiffs [represnted by Emancipate NC] have successfully pushed for revisions to Raleigh Police Department policies and procedures, including the use of confidential informants in drug operations and prohibiting warrants in which police enter without warning, according to a media release from the plaintiffs’ attorneys."

Families Traumatized In RPD Raid Settle With City for $350K

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC ultimately prevailed, however, successfully negotiating a settlement and, critically, putting an end to the use of no-knock warrants in Raleigh."

Raleigh mothers reach settlement in wrongful police raid lawsuit against city

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC, whose attorneys represent Irving, said the raid at her home was meant for someone being by framed by Abdullah and an informant. They said that while Irving’s address was on the search warrant, there was no evidence connecting Irving or Walton to illegal activity."

'I could have lost two kids': Mother addresses settlement following wrongful RPD raid

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"It took this long because there was a lack of compassion and a lack of willingness to accept accountability for wrongdoing by the Raleigh Police Department. And that lack of accountability," said Dawn Blagrove. "And that lack of compassion runs all the way up to Raleigh City Council."

Attorney Ben Crump retained by family of Wallace naked Black man killed in February by police

May 31, 2023 | Read More

Crump, a civil rights and personal injury lawyer, will be joined by attorney Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC and attorney Kenneth Abbarno.

“If Raleigh had a HEART program…”

May 31, 2023 | Read More

"While Durhamites fight to expand the successful [HEART] program, Raleigh drags its toes in providing people in crisis and their loved ones with the safety and care we deserve," writes Dawn Blagrove.

You’re Pregnant? Prepare to Be Drug Tested Without Consent

May 18, 2023 | Read More

“I think it’s pretty widely known that you can’t drug test a mother without her consent,” Jaelyn Miller said. "[But] [w]hat is legal and what is done in practicality are often different… Even if legally they’re not allowed to do it, they’ll still do it.”

NC bill would halt mandatory reports after prosecutors label officers as untrustworthy

May 15, 2023 | Read More

"This is disgraceful,” Dawn Blagrove said ... She described it as a step back for criminal justice reform that decreased transparency about bad cops.

Mecklenburg criminal justice leaders support more NC judge control over setting bond

May 15, 2023 | Read More

Giving the job of setting more bonds to judges would be one more setback for criminal justice reform, said Emancipate North Carolina Executive Director Dawn Blagrove.

Lawyers, family of man who died after being shocked with Taser by Raleigh police wants justice

May 5, 2023 | Read More

"I want you all to realize what the fight here in North Carolina is really about," Dawn Blagrove said. "It is about district attorneys, who have so much power and so much control, that they get to determine whether or not they are going to wrap themselves and their office around real community safety."

Attorneys, family of Raleigh man who died in police custody call on Wake DA to bring charges against officers

May 5, 2023 | Read More

“We must hold [Wake DA Lorrin Freeman] accountable to investigate the entire situation and not just the portions she picks and chooses. We do not believe the Raleigh Police Department had a constitutional grounds for interacting with Mr. Williams,” said Emancipate NC attorney Dawn Blagrove.

Darryl Williams' family urges Department of Justice to investigate Raleigh Police Department

May 5, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC filed a 12-page report to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Raleigh Police Department.

Lawyer Ben Crump demands ‘full justice’ from Wake DA in Raleigh police tasing death

May 5, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove denounced the police officers involved in Williams’ case as part of a “terror unit” and said their interaction with Williams the night of his death was illegal. “District Attorney Freeman says that it is her job to follow the law, and we agree,” Blagrove said.

Group fighting for Durham family sparks change after baby taken from mother

May 1, 2023 | Read More

"We expect for the Department of Social Services to do better," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC. "We expect not to have to stand here for decades just get their children the help they needed and in turn to be demonized and criminalized."

ACLU challenges new NC law set to redefine, impose stricter punishments for riots

April 25, 2023 | Read More

“If you chill the movement and you chill the protest, then you chill the benefits to the Black and brown community,” Jaelyn Miller said.

“No right way to tear down oppressive systems”: the risks of toppling Confederate monuments

April 17, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove said that adhering to the law and “following the appropriate channels” isn’t what brings Confederate monuments down. ... “There is no ‘right’ way to tear down oppressive systems.”

Using federal prosecutors can lead to more jail time, says Durham officials

April 20, 2023 | Read More

"This is not a good thing; this is a bad trend that needs to be stopped," said Dawn Blagrove. "Longer sentences do not deter crime; if that were the case, the war on drugs would have been won now."

'Dayve is loved': Family, friends shocked to learn 18-year-old killed in suspected shoplifting case

April 12, 2023 | Read More

"The first questions that come to mind are was this necessary? Because I think we always have to prioritize life over property," Dawn Blagrove said.

This Cop Unleashed a Reign of Terror, Say the Wrongfully Accused

April 9, 2023 | Read More

“I think it’s clear to see that there is a distinctly different way that [Wake DA] Freeman and the Wake County’s District Attorney’s Office handles interactions with law enforcement,” instead of following the “gold standard” laid out in Memphis, says Dawn Blagrove.

January – March 2023 

Some New York Times best sellers are banned in NC prisons

March 29, 2023 | Read More

"When people rights and freedoms are starting to be trampled upon, outside of being incarcerated - and they shouldn't be while incarcerated - but it is extremely concerning on both sides," said Kerwin Pittman.

‘Justice for Shanquella’: Family, attorney Ben Crump speak at Livingstone College

March 25, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate's Dawn Blagrove joined other speakers calling for justice for Shanquella Robinson.

Raleigh attorney stands with Shanquella Robinson's family as they demand government to step up

March 24, 2023 | Read More

"Mexico has already done an investigation; they have already issued a warrant for arrest. And the only real holdup is for the American government to cooperate with that warrant, and extradite the people who have been, charged in this case." explained Dawn Blagrove.

'Do the right thing' | Shanquella Robinson's family, attorney, advocates demand federal action on death investigation

March 23, 2023 | Read More

"We must remember that Black lives matter and that justice for Black lives matters," Dawn Blagrove said.

Attorney to meet with US on Shanquella Robinson case

March 23, 2023 | Read More

“We have a process in place to extradite people who have come to America from Mexico ... and from all over the world to seek a better life,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. “Why can we not employ those same resources and those same processes [with] people who are a danger to folks in ... Charlotte ...?"

Riot bill stiffens punishment on protestors, has enough votes to override governor veto

March 12, 2023 | Read More

"Critics, including civil rights activists from Emancipate NC, claim the bill is aimed to deter citizens from protesting at all."

Legislation calling for stricter punishments for rioters heads for Governor Cooper's desk

March 10, 2023 | Read More

"Essentially [this bill] intimidates individuals from coming out to participate and exercise their constitutional rights," said Kerwen Pittman with Emancipate NC.

NC Senate approves tougher penalties for rioting, sending bill to Gov. Cooper

March 10, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said HB 40 was a “racist” bill “designed to harm and limit the voices of Black, brown and marginalized people.”

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

March 9, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC promised accountability to those supporting this harmful, anti-BLM bill.

North Carolina Senate advances House riot penalties bill

March 7, 2023 | Read More

“The impact will be to stifle the voices of the most marginalized communities. Make no mistake about it,” said Kerwin Pittman, a criminal justice advocate and organizer with Emancipate NC, adding that peaceful protesters wrongly arrested could lose their jobs if they are forced to be held for 24 hours.

NC street gangs growing, carrying more powerful guns than police, Governor's Crime Commission says

March 2, 2023 | Read More

For people struggling to find their way out of the gang lifestyle, [Kerwin] Pittman had one key statement of advice:

"Find somebody who is doing somebody positive and stick with them like your life depends on," he said. "I'm a Black man coming back to redeem the community I once helped to destroy."

For Black motorists, traffic stops are often far from routine

March 2, 2023 | Read More

“If your goal is to reduce the likelihood [of an escalated situation where someone gets seriously injured or killed by police] without impacting public safety in a negative way, we should think about ways we can reduce the number of low-level interactions,” said Ian Mance.

Raleigh's Thin Blue Line

March 2, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove argues against token justice in prosecuting Raleigh's police department, saying, "The only person who’s being held accountable at all for any wrongdoing is Abdullah. Even Abdullah [isn't] really being held accountable. It’s just that [Wake County DA Freeman] knew that she had to bring some ... charge."

Police keep killing Black people. Civilian watchdogs need more authority to make it stop.

February 24, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC, an advocacy group, has issued yet another call for reforms."

Police groups should have NC disciplinary board seats, state lawmakers say

February 23, 2023 | Read More

“The primary reason law enforcement is so out of control is because they are constantly in an echo chamber of their own morals, values and culture,” Dawn Blagrove, the group’s executive director, wrote in an email. “... The only way to break down the blue line is to allow people who suffer at the hands of law enforcement a seat at the accountability table.”

In Durham, Children in Foster Care Struggle to Reunite With Birth Families

February 22, 2023 | Read More

“I was literally placed on this planet to do this,” Jatoia Potts says. “I’ll continue to share my story. My kids will grow up and see later that their mom was still out there, still doing stuff, still fighting for them.”

Durham mother questions why the county won’t let her kids stay with family in Georgia

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“DSS manifests itself in an overwhelmingly racist manner toward Black families and Black children in Durham County,” Dawn Blagrove said. “DSS is emerging in a way that works with systemic and institutional racism to keep black families apart.”

Lawyers: separation of children through child welfare services ‘an ongoing form of torture that America does to Black families’

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“Durham has conducted an unfair and railroaded process in this case and has tried to break down the tides to accommodate a non-kin adoption, but there have always been kin ready, willing and able to take in Toia’s kids in Georgia,” Elizabeth Simpson said.

'Like they threw my whole family away': Durham mom questions why county won't let her kids stay with family in Georgia

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“DSS has done so many things that have caused so much harm and so much trauma and so much damage,” Toia Potts said.

This NC bill has the hallmarks of anti-protest bills sweeping the nation

February 19, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC’s Dawn Blagrove spoke loud and clear on Feb. 8 against North Carolina Republicans’ latest 'anti-rioting' bill. She told a legislative committee that the intent of House Bill 40 was to target 'Black, brown, and marginalized people' engaging in nonviolent protests."

'That's not humanity': Ben Crump calls for Raleigh officers to be charged in Darryl Williams' death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

Standing alongside Ben Crump, Kerwin Pittman and Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC spoke about injustices in the nature of Williams' death.

Civil rights attorney says man’s death in police custody compelled him to come to North Carolina

February 16, 2023 | Read More

“What we want to see is real accountability. Accountability that is acceptable to the people. Accountability that has real teeth and can bring real consequences,” Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said.

North Carolina family seeks charges in police stun gun death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

"Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC, a criminal justice reform group, called for the officers to be fired and prosecuted. She also called for the department to end proactive policing and the use of Tasers."

Ben Crump calls for charges of manslaughter Darryl Williams' Raleigh police in-custody death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

"To the Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson, who is a Black woman and mother, we want her to give Ms. Williams the same justice she'd want for her Black child," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

Use of tasers by North Carolina officers in question for man who died in police custody

February 15, 2023 | Read More

“Police believe and they approach every situation with a hammer, with force, with violence. That is just not necessary. And that is especially true when it comes to interacting with Black, Brown and marginalized communities. ... Raleigh police department needs to be held accountable and had the city of Raleigh done what it should have done a long time ago, Darryl may still be alive,” said Dawn Blagrove.

Attorney says Black man tased by cops was ‘electrocuted’

February 14, 2023 | Read More

“The fact that they claim to have seen an open container and marijuana in the car sounds good and is a practice that we see repeatedly,” Dawn Blagrove said, CNN reported, adding that it’s a move not just from RPD “but from police departments across the country, where they retroactively create scenarios that protect them from the accountability and appearance of impropriety.”

6 North Carolina officers are on administrative leave after man dies in police custody

February 13, 2023 | Read More

“Now is the time for the city of Raleigh and all of America to reckon with the trauma and harm that policing causes to Black, Brown and marginalized communities,” Dawn Blagrove told CNN.

Attorney for family of man who died after being tased in police custody says he was ‘harassed’ and ‘electrocuted’

February 13, 2023 | Read More

“It’s heartbreaking to think about any person being electrocuted to death for nothing. In a parking lot, alone, begging, screaming and pleading for mercy that the Raleigh Police Department could not and would not offer him. They need to be held accountable for that,” Dawn Blagrove told CNN.

US police release video of Taser use on black man who later died

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“Emancipate NC stands behind the demands presented to Raleigh City Council and expect to see officers help accountable for Daryll Williams’ death,” said Dawn Blagrove.

Man dies after cops restrained him on the ground, ignored his warning of 'heart problems' and used stun gun on him, video shows

February 11, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC stands behind the demands presented to Raleigh City Council and expect to see officers held accountable for Darryl Williams' death," said Dawn Blagrove.

Raleigh police release video of stun gun use before man dies

February 11, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC and other advocacy groups this week presented a list of demands to the Raleigh City Council. They include firing the officers involved in the arrest, retooling the city’s police advisory board and discontinuing for now the use of Tasers."

Raleigh police release body camera video in arrest of man who died after tasing

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“Darryl Williams should not be dead,” Kerwin Pittman said, noting the officers’ use of force “struck me as extremely excessive.”

Raleigh police release footage of Williams’ death in custody

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“How many times do we have to watch public executions before policing will be held accountable?” [said] Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

Raleigh Police release body cam video of night Darryl Williams died in custody

February 10, 2023 | Read More

"There needs to be accountability. These officers, there was no reason that Darryl should be dead right now. And we want to see the city of Raleigh finally take seriously the need to bring real accountability to the Raleigh Police Department," said Dawn Blagrove.

Raleigh police release body cam video of Darryl Williams’ death in custody

February 10, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC and Raleigh Demands Justice are calling for the creation of a new committee to look into police accountability. Click below to view the list of demands we delivered to Raleigh city council.

Bodycam footage shows repeated use of stun guns by Raleigh police before the death of Darryl Williams

February 10, 2023 | Read More

"Mr. Williams expressed he had heart conditions. They still chose to tase this man again. Why wasn't this taken into consideration?" said Kerwin Pittman, a social justice activist with Emancipate NC.

NC Supreme Court: Death row prisoner says Black jurors excluded from his murder trial

February 9, 2023 | Read More

"North Carolina courts are behind other neighboring states in terms of enforcing a 1996 U.S. Supreme Court decision that prevents prosecutors from excluding jurors on the basis of race, Ian Mance, an attorney for civil rights organization Emancipate NC, wrote."

Family of Darryl Williams gets first look at RPD bodycam video

February 9, 2023 | Read More

"What we know is that proactive policing, a.k.a. stop and frisk, is a very lazy way to do it, and it is proven to be ineffective and impacting the rate of crime," said Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, denouncing RPD's tactics.

Activists, Raleigh Residents Demand Police Reform After Daryl Williams’ Death

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“Darryl Williams is dead because RPD failed to follow its own written policies for justification and use of non-deadly force,” Dawn Blagrove said, alleging at least 16 policies were violated by officers that night.

Raleigh council agrees to review demands following Darryl Williams’ death in custody

February 8, 2023 | Read More

Click to read the full list of demands Emancipate NC and Raleigh Demands Justice made to Raleigh City Council.

Raleigh City Council votes for review of police reform demands

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"Raleigh Demands Justice, which includes Emancipate NC, ... gave city leaders a packet of information that included eight demands ranging from firing the police officers involved in Williams’ death to dismantling and rebuilding the current police advisory board."

Judge grants release of RPD bodycam in Darryl Williams case

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"There is something fundamentally wrong when the outcome of a, not even a traffic stop, literally an unprovoked interaction with law enforcement results in death," said Dawn Blagrove. "What we want to see in the city of Raleigh is investment in alternatives to law enforcement, not enhancements to law enforcement, not changes to law enforcement,"

How to Take Action on Police Brutality and Anti-Black Racism

February 8, 2023 | Read More

The post highlights Team Emancipate's work, describing our dedication to "providing community education and mobilizing against racialized mass incarceration," and more.

NC House approves controversial anti-riot bill with enough votes to override a veto

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"We should not be harming or hurting, or passing any legislation, that further marginalizes already marginalized people,” said Dawn Blagrove.

'Anti-riot' bill would increase penalties

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“This bill will pretty much give law enforcement discretion to target those out there exercising their constitutional right in protest," Pittman said, “... and I believe they are trying to stop people from protesting with legislation put forth like this.”

Racist, or necessary to protect property? Anti-rioting bill passes NC House after heavy debate

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“This bill is racist,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of the group Emancipate NC. “This bill is designed to harm and limit the voices of Black, brown and marginalized people.”

Police release information on officers who tased Raleigh man who died in police custody

February 2, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove denounced Raleigh's "proactive patrols," saying, "It doesn’t matter what they found in his car. What matters is that on that night, he was bothering no one. He was minding his own business.”

Too few released from NC prisons decades after teen crime convictions, advocates say

February 1, 2023 | Read More

“The legacy of slavery and racial oppression in the state is very, very deep, and it doesn’t get undone without some long, hard work,” said Elizabeth Simpson.

RPD Faces Tough Questions After Deposition in “No-Knock” Lawsuit

February 1, 2023 | Read More

“Why are you not righting this wrong?” asked Kerwin Pittman, Emancipate NC’s Policy & Program director, during the press conference. “Why are you continuing to victimize this family that was already victimized the first time by Raleigh Police Department?”

Emancipate NC, family demand apology from police after wrong address warrant

January 31, 2023 | Read More

“[This] speaks to a larger issue, a systemic issue with the Raleigh Police Department and the culture of the city of Raleigh, it’s seeming that it’s to continue the brutalization of marginalized communities,” Kerwin Pittman said.

Raleigh police told to defuse situations before resorting to force. Is new policy enough?

January 30, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman criticized the new policy as falling short: "[W]e know that when things aren’t specific in policies, it leaves room for interpretation of the officers. A lot of the times, this is where mistakes come in and lives are lost.”

Mothers subject to wrongful Raleigh PD raid want apology, police reforms

January 30, 2023 | Read More

"We call on the people of Raleigh to demand that the folks that you have given your power to use it in a way that is fair and is equitable and is just," said Dawn Blagrove. "It's systemic racism that allows police all over the country and specifically here in Raleigh to create special units and give them so much leeway that they think and behave as they are above the law."

Emancipate NC holds discusses claims Raleigh police wrongfully raided homes of two families

January 30, 2023 | Read More

Watch video of leaders with Emancipate NC holding a briefing to discuss claims that Raleigh police wrongfully invaded the private duplex homes of Yolanda Irving, Kenya Walton, and their children in 2020.

'No Justice, No Peace': Raleigh protesters join calls for justice after Tyre Nichols' death

January 29, 2023 | Read More

"Those kinds of things happen because there is lawlessness in law enforcement," Dawn Blagrove said. "We demand accountability."

Protest against police brutality held in downtown Raleigh; activists calling for justice for Tyre Nichols, Darryl Williams

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate helped organize the protest and supported protestors calling for justice for Darryl Williams and Tyre Nichols.

Protesters march in Raleigh to protest police brutality

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of Emancipate NC speaks to protesters gathered to march in downtown Raleigh, N.C. in the wake of the deaths of Daryl Williams in Raleigh and Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police give list of demands

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman drew a link between police violence in Memphis and Raleigh as symptoms of the same problem. “We also have to bring awareness to cases happening here in Raleigh ... It’s extremely important to highlight the injustices that are happening in your backyard.”

Edenton protest group spreads anti-monument message with billboard

January 26, 2023 | Read More

A group protesting Edenton’s Confederate monument and pushing for its removal from the town’s waterfront area is taking its case to new heights... Read the full article.

Protestors install anti-monument billboard

January 25, 2023 | Read More

“Our plan is that it stays up until the monument comes down,” local Move the Monument Coalition activist Rod Phillips said.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police give list of demands

January 24, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove listed demands of Raleigh PD, including an end to "preventative policing," the immediate termination of the six officers involved in the murder, and removal of police Tasers until officers better understand their policies.

Family, activists demand accountability after death of Darryl Williams

January 24, 2023 | Read More

"We stand here before you with demands that are not utopian. They are real, they are tangible, and they can be achieved," said Dawn Blagrove. "Black folks in southeast Raleigh can be safe, and they deserve that."

Raleigh PD Release Report on the Death of Darryl Williams. Activists Call It ‘Propaganda.’

January 24, 2023 | Read More

“This report is designed to malign the victim, to malign the murder victim ... What matters is that on that night, he was bothering no one,” said Dawn Blagrove, denouncing RPD's "proactive policing" as nothing more than racial profiling.

Family of man who died in RPD custody wants immediate police reform

January 24, 2023 | Read More

Demanding transparency and accountability, Kerwin Pittman asked, "What side of the body did it make contact with and where on his side? Because these are important factors."

'Darryl Williams should not be dead': Family, activists voice pain from Raleigh man's fatal encounter with RPD

January 24, 2023 | Read More

"Darryl Williams should not be dead," Kerwin Pittman said. "Their initial encounter with Mr. Williams was unwarranted and unjustifiable."

Family of Darryl Williams addresses his death after Raleigh police say he was tased 3 times in their custody

January 24, 2023 | Read More

“Why, when Mr. Williams expressed he had heart conditions, why did they still choose to tase this man again?” asked Kerwin Pittman.

'I have heart problems.' Man was tased multiple times before death, RPD says he resisted arrest

January 23, 2023 | Read More

"Clearly no consideration was given to his health conditions when he expressed that he has a heart condition or heart problems ... [it] is extremely egregious for them not to take it into consideration," activist Kewin Pittman said.

Expert from George Floyd murder trial questions Raleigh police's use of taser before suspect's death

January 18, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman described how "proactive policing" leads to racial profiling: "Law enforcement wasn’t called to the scene. [Officers] just so happened to arrive on the scene, determined certain people were suspicious and wanted to pursue those people. That’s when things escalated."

Letter condemns city of Raleigh’s tactics in lawsuit after police raided wrong home

January 18, 2023 | Read More

“In defending this case, the City of Raleigh has elected to use taxpayer money to pay four private law firms, along with two City Attorneys, to employ a defense strategy that has included accusing these innocent mothers and children of criminal wrongdoing and subjected them to a battery of invasive and inappropriate questions,” Emancipate NC wrote.

Emancipate NC helps in civil rights lawsuit against city of Raleigh

January 18, 2023 | Read More

WRAL covers Emancipate's letter to the City of Raleigh regarding the questionable methods its attorneys are using to attack the character of the plaintiffs in our case against the Raleigh Police Department’s use of no-knock and quick-knock warrants.

Raleigh civil rights group calls out city over tactics in no-knock raid case

January 18, 2023 | Read More

"[The City of Raleigh] accused the mothers and their children of 'criminal wrongdoings' and asked them about gang activity," said Emancipate NC.

Activists Are Skeptical of Raleigh PD’s New De-Escalation Policy

January 4, 2023 | Read More

“When a policy lacks specifics about how you are supposed to operate, it leaves room for a lot of error. It leaves it up to the officers’ interpretation … and we know when they lean on their own interpretation, as we’ve seen in the past, they make mistakes,” Kerwin Pittman says.

Durham leaders, community members search for answers to gun violence

January 3, 2023 | Read More

"If I had positive mentorship in my life when I was a youth, I definitely wouldn't have went in the course and direction that I went in, but also (if I) just (had) economic infrastructure to make adequate living, wages for living, I definitely wouldn't have went in the route that I went in," Kerwin Pittman said.

Archived Press

Flood of dark money? What the new campaign finance provision in NC’s mask bill does

June 12, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks during a press conference against House Bill 237, the anti-mask and campaign finance bill, outside the Legislative Building in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

Mask Bill Passes General Assembly With Campaign Finance Change

June 13, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC: “And then, in an ironic twist of fate and an absolute nod to the unflinching, unwavering desire of this General Assembly to uphold white supremacy and white supremacist systems, they put into this deal with no oversight, with no input from the people, a measure that will make it easier for folks to hide their faces when they are donating and participating in the financial support of our political election.”

Juvenile crime reform debate heats up as Wake County makes new investment

June 17, 2024 | Read More

"Having them start in juvenile court creates a whole plethora of other resources that are available to help these children," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

North Carolina lawmakers approve mask bill that allows health exemption after pushback

June 11, 2024 | Read More

“It is imperative on the people that we are able to exercise our right to peacefully protest,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of criminal justice organization Emancipate NC.

North Carolina's updated mask bill passes House of Representatives 69-43

June 11, 2024 | Read More

"I am confident that this piece of legislation is designed to make people feel unsafe protesting, to make people feel afraid for protesting."
- Dawn Blagrove, Emancipate NC

North Carolinians push back against anti-protest, campaign finance legislation

June 11, 2024 | Read More

“We have a constitutional right to protest. However, our General assembly and a few men here have decided that we should no longer be able to protest if we are not protesting for the things that uphold and support white supremacy,”said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC. “That is an imprisonment on everyone’s democracy.”

Pro-Palestinian UNC protesters call for charges to be dropped, citing First Amendment violation

May 30, 2024 | Read More

Their attorneys -- Pooyan Ordoubadi of Lopez-Cobb and Ordoubadi, PLLC; and Jaelyn D. Miller of Emancipate NC -- said they want all these charges dropped, calling it a 'violation of their First Amendment at the hands of the police and university leaders'.

Protecting the right to protest is how we protect democracy in North Carolina

May 31, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate North Carolina and North Carolina For the People Action have joined with the NC NAACP and ACLU of NC to condemn HB 237, the current anti-protest bill being discussed in the state legislature.

North Carolina hotline helps former convicts find jobs, resources

June 8, 2024 | Read More

“It is amazing to connect an individual coming home with resources they need, such as a job, immediately. We know this can guide them to a trusted source to make a difference,” said Pittman.

A Confederate statue in North Carolina praises 'faithful slaves.' Some citizens want it gone

May 25, 2024 | Read More

"It's really a racially hostile environment for them at this point in the county because they're well known for having spoken out against this statute," said Jaelyn Miller, attorney for Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County. "It's made some folks fearful to continue doing rallies and demonstrations because of that."

Pro-Palestinian protesters appear in Orange County court for first time

May 30, 2024 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller, an attorney with Emancipate NC, is one of the lawyers representing some of the people charged.

“I just challenge folks to remember that the First Amendment belongs to everyone, not just those who agree with you, and without it, we could not continue to be the democracy that we are,” Miller said.

Black residents in NC sue to remove monument to ‘faithful slaves’

May 30, 2024 | Read More

“The Supreme Court has said monuments at government buildings are a ‘means of expression’ and ‘government speech,’” Ian Mance, who represents the Plaintiffs on behalf of the Durham-based civil rights organization Emancipate NC, said in a release.

North Carolina files lawsuit to remove Confederate monument ‘in appreciation of our faithful slaves’

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Ian Mance, another attorney for the group, said the location of the monument was intentional. “It was put up in the front yard of what was soon to be the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to communicate to people that members of the Black community could not expect to get justice inside of that courthouse,” Mance said.

Eastern NC residents sue to have Confederate monument to 'faithful slaves' removed

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Ian Mance, another attorney for the plaintiffs, said the historical record is clear that the monument was meant to send a message. “It was put up in the front yard of what was soon to be the Tyrrell County Courthouse, which opened a few months later, to communicate to people that members of the Black community could not expect to get justice inside of that courthouse,” he said.

Black residents in North Carolina county sue to remove racist statue

May 24, 2024 | Read More

Attorney Jaelyn Miller of Emancipate NC, an organization working against structural racism, said the monument is particularly offensive even compared to other Confederate statues. “I think this is the most egregious statue I’ve ever seen,” Miller said on Friday.

Confederate monument to 'faithful slaves' must be removed, suit says

May 22, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC, a nonprofit organization, joined with Concerned Citizens of Tyrrell County to raise a billboard as a call to action against a Confederate monument in Columbia.

NC House declines to concur with Senate changes to law governing mask wearing

May 22, 2024 | Read More

Advocates and organizations including Disability Rights NC, Emancipate NC, and the ACLU of North Carolina spoke out against the bill at last week’s committee hearing, criticizing both the mask ban and provisions that target protesters.

North Carolina residents sue to have Confederate monument to ‘faithful slaves’ removed

May 23, 2024 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told CNN she feels county commissioners have a responsibility to ensure that racist messages are not being displayed to the Black community. “This is sort of the only monument in the country on public land that textually endorses slavery,” Miller said.

Courts: A ‘Tweak’ or a ‘Rollback’ for Raise the Age?

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman, director of policy and program for Emancipate NC, told the Senate Judiciary committee last week that the change would potentially put juveniles in a position to where they “would no longer be able to gain a sense of restorative justice.” “The science still rings true that juveniles that go through the juvenile legal system are less likely to reoffend,” he said.

A proposed NC law would limit family and public access to death records

May 21, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of Emancipate NC said Britt and other gatekeepers of the criminal justice system are preventing the public from obtaining information it has the right to know. “To shield those things from individuals shows a lack of compassion for the citizens he’s supposed to serve,” Pittman said.

Tyrrell County residents sue to have “Faithful Slaves” monument removed from courthouse

May 21, 2024 | Read More

Some believe county commissioners have been silent to avoid controversy.

“They don’t want to be seen as supporting this explicitly racist monument,” Miller said. “They now are going to be forced to defend this explicitly racist monument.”

'The Silent Struggle': A mental health town hall conversation brought to you by ABC11

May 16, 2024 | Read More

"The Silent Struggle" featured an expert panel of guests talking for an hour about various mental health challenges and resources available...Mark Simon, Mary Wise, and Kerwin Pittman rounded out the guests featured at the town hall.

North Carolina Considers Bringing Back Mask Ban With Exception For KKK

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman, a social justice advocate in Raleigh, said he also has concerns about how the bill will disproportionately affect people of color. “With this bill passed, law enforcement will begin to stop Black and brown people in their communities who may be wearing masks for health concerns or safety concerns,” Pittman said

North Carolina House of Representatives take on bill to ban most public mask wearing

May 20, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC Director Dawn Blagrove does not agree.

"What happens is that every time our General Assembly...criminalizes more behavior," she said, "ultimately -- when the Palestinian protests die down -- the people who bear the burden of those new crimes are Black people, and that is the problem."

NC Senate panel approves controversial bill that targets protests, bans masks in public

May 15, 2024 | Read More

Advocates from other organizations including Disability Rights NC, Emancipate NC, and the ACLU of North Carolina all spoke out against provisions in the bill that target protesters.

Law restricting mask-wearing in public moves one step closer to passing

May 15, 2024 | Read More

Public testimony came from individuals representing the Emancipate NC, ACLU of North Carolina, the NC Justice Center, and Disability Rights North Carolina. They were all opposed to the rule, including several state legislators who voiced their concerns.

Triangle advocates praise DOJ move to reclassify marijuana

May 16, 2024 | Read More

"If you are black in America, you have about 3.4 times more chance of being prosecuted and criminalized because of marijuana," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Protest bill, to criminalize mask-wearing for health reasons, passes Senate committee

May 14, 2024 | Read More

“It is absolutely unconscionable to create a law where you build in exceptions or assume that there is a certain portion of the population that will be protected simply because of who they are,” Blagrove said. “If that is true, then so is the opposite. There is a certain part of the population that is more exposed to harm, who has less Constitutional rights because of this bill. We asked this committee to pull this bill from consideration, take more time and do what is right, not just for the white grannies, but for all grannies.”

Juvenile justice rollbacks, penalties on protesters, new sex crimes laws advancing in NC Senate

May 14, 2024 | Read More

"The science still rings true that juveniles that go through the juvenile legal system are less likely to reoffend, to recommit crimes," Pittman told the committee Tuesday. "So why are we starting them off, expediting them, to the adult criminal system? It just doesn't make sense."

Hundreds call new NC recidivism hotline within days of it opening: 'We love them and we care'

May 14, 2024 | Read More

"I know that that real-time source of information can make or break somebody's successful reentry," Pittman said. "I'm hoping to have an impact on individuals coming home, know that they are loved and we see them. We love them and we care."

How marijuana reclassification could affect North Carolinians

May 7, 2024 | Read More

“What it should do is send a very strong indicator to the people of North Carolina, to our legislators, to our district attorneys and law enforcement...that there is no longer an appetite for criminalizing this kind of behavior,” said Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC.

Is it Easier to Get Police Videos in Certain North Carolina Cities? What We Found.

May 7, 2024 | Read More

The situation can be particularly frustrating for people who are trying to clear their name after a clash with police. That’s because history has shown that courts and the general public often believe police officers, said Ian Mance, an attorney for the civil rights organization Emancipate NC.

“One of the kind of insidious things about this body cam law is it creates a situation where police officials can miss characterize your actions, and you can’t tell your side of the story,” Mance said.

A new hotline connects formerly incarcerated people with re-entry services in NC

May 9, 2024 | Read More

"You'd be surprised how many individuals come home and don't just have simple identification," Pittman emphasized. "And we know without identification, you can't receive benefits that you may be eligible for, you can't receive a job, you can't receive housing. And so everything kind of plays into each other."

Possible change to marijuana schedule status could have wide-ranging effect

May 1, 2024 | Read More

"We know that there is a racial element to the way that these crimes are charged. We know that that racial element and disproportionality impacts not just people's everyday lives, but also their rights to vote their right, their ability to be able to find affordable housing," said Dawn Blagrove, Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Blagrove described the scheduling change as "a step in the right direction," but urged state lawmakers to take further action.

Transparency vs. security: Nonprofit challenges redacted Durham County Jail policies

May 6, 2024 | Read More

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill law students Nikolai Wise and John Schengber argued before the judge on behalf of Emancipate NC.

"The jail is a public institution, taxpayer funded,” Schengber said. “So, the jail should be regulated in a way that the public is aware of."

Lawsuit against Durham County Sheriff’s Office over jail policy records continues despite hurdles

May 7, 2024 | Read More

As part of the Civil Legal Assistance Clinic at the University of North Carolina, law students John Schengber and Nikolai Wise represented Emancipate NC’s case in court.

“We have been deprived of actually viewing the policies that matter the most,” Schengber said. “Ultimately, these are Durham County community members who are being held in the jail and confined under a system that is not very transparent.”

Durham’s City Council is Enforcing Its Rules of Decorum in Ways It Wasn’t Before

April 5, 2024 | Read More

“Durham has set a precedent over a large number of years that if the chambers are full, there is overflow in the lobby,” Simpson says. “That is what the public has come to expect as part of the accommodation for access in-person. Once you open it up to the public … and create this expectation that this is part of the accommodation for an open meeting, they need to continue doing that unless they have a really good justification.”

Hotline launching to help former inmates find resources while acclimating back to communities

April 26, 2024 | Read More

“Individuals looking for re-entry resources and services can call into this call center via this hotline and reach somebody, a live agent,” Kerwin Pittman, the Executive Director of Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services Inc., also known as RREPS, said.

'I can be a citizen in society': New call center for people reentering society takes more than 100 callers on first day

April 30, 2024 | Read More

Recidivism Reduction Educational Program Services Executive Director Kerwin Pittman created the call center.

According to Pittman, the call center was funded by donations and grants and is the first such call center in North Carolina.

“This goes hand-in-hand with Second Chance Month,” Pittman said. “We want to make sure this hotline will be around for years and evolve into something never imagined before.”

UPDATED: Raleigh Cops Tell Judge that Allowing the Public to See Footage of a Botched Raid Would be “Dangerous”

March 27, 2024 | Read More

Simpson also disputed the RPD’s claim that there was no misconduct: “The officers did engage in unlawful conduct by entering the home simultaneously with their announcement. North Carolina law requires ‘Knock and Announce’ for warrant execution.”

Raleigh police raided wrong home in 2021. Judge denies public release of body-cam video

April 1, 2024 | Read More

...according to Elizabeth Simpson, an adjunct law professor and director of the civil legal assistance clinic at UNC. “A main driver for the Abboud family’s petition for general public release of the body-camera footage is to make other families aware of what’s going on in their neighborhoods, and to pressure the police into higher standards that would prevent situations like what occurred at the Abbouds’ residence that day,” the plaintiffs’ legal defense said in a statement.

Edenton officials seek hearing on lawsuit blocking Confederate statue's relocation

April 4, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC and Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan recently paid for this billboard on U.S. 17 in Bertie County to express their opposition to a Confederate monument’s continued location near the Edenton waterfront.

Lawsuit says Raleigh police tased man 6 times before he died. Police say it was just 3.

March 20, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, said that they filed the lawsuit because Raleigh leaders refuse to hold officers accountable for this and other interactions.

“Because everyone who you elect and pay to create accountability is failing to do it,” Blagrove said.

Lawsuit seeks justice for NC man's death in police custody

March 25, 2024 | Read More

Blagrove - also the executive director of Emancipate NC - said this case is not only about accountability, but it also aims to make sure that this doesn't happen to anyone else in the future.

It aims to make a change in the way tasers are handled.

"To ensure that this lawsuit is litigated in a way that is fair and just for this family," said Blagrove, "but more importantly, in a way that results in getting a change in policies, a change in practices, a change in procedures. "

In historic NC hearing, Joe Freeman Britt’s troubled past as prosecutor looms

March 27, 2024 | Read More

“If this is how he was operating, what was it that he was doing that made him an appealing candidate to serve on this executive committee?” Mance of Emancipate NC said. “I don’t think anything he was doing was a secret.”

Council gets more advice on Office of Community Safety

March 4, 2024 | Read More

“What we see from these programs is that when resources, police resources, are not being depleted by these mental health calls, they're able to be diverted and focused on violent crime,” Miller said. “And that's why we see a reduction in the crime rate.”

Lawsuit: Darryl Williams was stunned by police six times during fatal arrest

March 18, 2024 | Read More

"We have no doubt this lawsuit is strong," Attorney Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC said. "We take no joy in this, There's no doubt the city of Raleigh has turned a blind eye to negligence over and over again."

Family of Darryl Williams files wrongful death lawsuit against city of Raleigh and Chief of Police

March 18, 2024 | Read More

Raleigh Police have said Williams was tased three times. But the federal lawsuit filed Monday by civil rights attorney Ben Crump and the group Emancipate NC claims it was six times, including once while Williams was in handcuffs.

Raleigh joins forces with Department of Justice to address gun violence

February 15, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a nonprofit social activist organization, sent a letter in April to the DOJ about patterns and practices in policing.

"We are excited and pleased that the Department of Justice took our concerns seriously and selected Raleigh Police Department to be one of the participants in one of these crime-prevention programs."

Raleigh Police, Department of Justice announce new partnership to tackle crime

February 15, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director for Emancipate NC, says she’s skeptical about the impact.

"Raleigh Police Department does not have a problem with training; it has a problem with culture,” Blagrove said.

Campbell Law to host NCBA Minorities in the Profession Pre-Law Conference

February 19, 2024 | Read More

Executive Director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove will be the keynote speaker. As a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and N.C. Central School of Law, Blagrove has emerged as a leading voice in North Carolina, demanding an end to mass incarceration and the dismantling of systemic and institutional racism.

Vance County Jail to charge medical copays starting Feb. 1

January 30, 2024 | Read More

Social activist Kerwin Pittman believes these copays are a step in the wrong direction. He was incarcerated for 11.5 years and said he had his own experiences with copays while serving his time.

“On its face, $5 to $20 may not seem like a lot to us. But when you are incarcerated, and you’re only making 40 cents a day, this is a lot of money for copaying and medical attention,” he said.

Community activists demand answers after Raleigh police shooting: 'Problem with transparency'

February 12, 2024 | Read More

"I'm not surprised Raleigh is keeping this close to the chest, because they definitely have a problem with transparency," said Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove "The Raleigh Police Department is either incapable or unwilling to learn from its own mistakes."

Social justice advocates warn judges’ partisanship means ‘there are no guardrails’

February 14, 2024 | Read More

“Our courts have been, and should be, the guard rails. They should function as a way for checks and balances against unconstitutional things, things that are just unfair, things that give one group of people privileges or access to resources over another,” said Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, during a webinar Tuesday night. “Right now in North Carolina, there are no guard rails. And when there are no guard rails, anything can happen.”

Legal Nonprofit Emancipate NC Sues Durham Sheriff’s Office Over Redacted Jail Policies

January 25, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC, which advocates against mass incarceration and racism in the criminal justice system, submitted a public records request in April for “all written Durham jail policies.” The sheriff’s office took six months to fulfill the request, and put blocks of black ink over many sections, including most of the rules about restraining devices.

NC Democratic Party leader vows to focus more attention, resources on judicial races

January 25, 2024 | Read More

Racial justice organizations Emancipate NC and the North Carolina Black Alliance held a press conference after Earls dropped the lawsuit, praising the power of collective, organized action in defending against the “racism behind the attack on Justice Earls.”

The Majority v. Anita Earls

January 29, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, said at a news conference that the investigation is one example of the “unrelenting trauma and hostility that Black women lawyers have to face every single day in North Carolina just to do our jobs.”

Vigil marks 1 year since Darryl Williams died in Raleigh Police custody

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove confirmed to ABC11 that they are working with Williams' family to file a lawsuit against Raleigh Police in the next two months.

One year later: Family, friends of Daryl Williams gather for vigil

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Accountability organizer Kerwin pittman with Emancipate NC was disappointed with Wake County DA's decision to not file charges against the officers involved.

Op-Ed: Durham Should Pay the $6 Million That the City Owes Darryl Howard

January 24, 2024 | Read More

Who would suspect that Concord would be more progressive than Durham on the subject of compensating victims of police corruption?

- Elizabeth Simpson, strategic director and attorney at Emancipate NC

Ethics complaint against NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls is dismissed

January 17, 2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks at a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., last August, defending Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.

Family and friends gather for vigil to honor Darryl Williams one year after his death

January 17, 2024 | Read More

“We still need accountability,” activist Kerwin Pittman said. “Demanding justice non-stop until we get it.”

‘It is not over’: Family demands justice 1 year after fatal encounter with Raleigh police

January 18, 2024 | Read More

“Even though the district attorney chose not to charge those officers who viciously murdered Darryl Williams, that don’t mean we give up, y’all,” said Kerwin Pittman, who works with civil rights organization Emancipate N.C. “We keep fighting for justice, y’all,” he said. “Because it is not over.”

October – December 2023

Body Cameras Were Sold as a Tool of Police Reform. Ten Years Later, Most of the Footage is Kept From Public View

December 18, 2023 | Read More

“There is no way for you to watch the video without essentially going into the belly of the beast,” said Dawn Blagrove, who crisscrosses the state to accompany relatives to police stations to view footage.

Advocates want Raleigh to send unarmed responders to some 911 calls

December 14, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of the group Emancipate NC said that can prevent some violent or deadly interactions with police and save resources.

"We definitely know that this program, if implemented correctly, will save lives," Pittman said.

Ethics complaint against NC Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls is dismissed

January 17,2024 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, speaks at a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., last August, defending Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls.

A Mother Lost Both Her Children to Durham’s Department of Social Services. She Didn’t Stand a Chance Against NC’s Child Welfare System.

December 13, 2023 | Read More

Since 2018, North Carolina courts have terminated the rights of nearly 1,200 parents per year, including an average of 32 per year in Durham, according to state records. Only 30 percent of the 5,020 North Carolina children who left foster care in the 2022-23 fiscal year were reunited with their parents. In Durham, the reunification rate was just 22 percent, less than half of the national average.

Citizens weigh in on Raleigh’s 911 alternative response program

December 12, 2023 | Read More

Jaelyn Miller is a staff attorney with Emancipate NC, which is one of the organizations that make up Raleigh’s HEART Coalition. The coalition pushed for community response teams, similar to Durham’s H.E.A.R.T program.

“We want those community response teams for sure,” Miller said. “That’s typically mental health clinicians, paramedics, EMTs. That is the crux, I think, of the program we’re seeking.”

NCDPS Office of Violence Prevention Appoints Community Violence Advisory Board

December 12, 2023 | Read More

NCDPS Secretary Eddie M. Buffaloe Jr appointed 25 violence prevention leaders to serve on the state’s first Community Violence Advisory Board. The board will serve as a centralized strategic resource connecting the growing number of programs working across law enforcement, public health, social services and other disciplines to reduce violence and firearm misuse in N.C. communities. [Kerwin Pittman, Emancipate NC Program/Policy Manager, will serve as one of the violence prevention leader].

Vigil challenges governor, North Carolinians to reimagine criminal justice system

December 7, 2023 | Read More

[Toia] Potts did not struggle with drugs or alcohol, but she enrolled in a substance abuse rehabilitative program because those who successfully completed it were allowed to invite their family members to a pizza party...Potts, now an organizer at Emancipate NC, recounted her experience to a Zoom panel last week. The conversation was about “keeping families together,” emphasizing the ways incarceration affects not just people charged with crimes, but also their entire families.

Raleigh working on alternative responses to 911 calls, asking for feedback

December 7, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman is a social justice activist at Emancipate NC, one of the partners of the Raleigh H.E.A.R.T program.

“What we want to do is pair the right professionals with the right situation,” Pittman said.

He envisions a program in Raleigh very similar to Durham’s H.E.A.R.T program.

“What we want to do is stop individuals who are in a crisis having interactions with law enforcement,” Pittman said.

Best interest of the child: No-win scenario

November 29, 2023 | Read More

[Elizabeth] Simpson prepared for her first hearing as Potts’ attorney like she would for any other court appearance....But abuse, neglect, and dependency courts don’t operate like other courtrooms. Simpson learned this when Rhinehart threatened to jail her for bringing people to the hearing to support Potts or discussing the case with third parties. “She was like, ‘This is a confidential courtroom, Miss Simpson. You cannot share anything that happens in this courtroom.’”

Hall of Shame 2023: The Charlotte Area’s Worst of the Worst

November 29, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC, for which Puckett-Williams serves on the board, tweeted, “We are deeply concerned that [Puckett-Williams] has been fired by [ACLU of NC]. The policing of language by anyone, but especially of a formerly incarcerated Black woman, is inconsistent with our organization’s morals and values.

No-Win Scenario

November 28, 2023 | Read More

Representing Potts opened [Elizabeth] Simpson’s eyes to a part of the legal system that operates unlike any other and disproportionately affects Black, low-wealth parents who have been accused of abuse or neglect in Durham and across the state. According to state records, Potts, who is Black, was one of 34 Durham parents who lost their rights in the 2021-22 fiscal year; only one was white.

Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan

November 28, 2023 | Read More

SCSJ and Emancipate NC are representing Move the Monument Coalition Edenton-Chowan in their fight to remove a Confederate soldier statute from the town’s historic waterfront. The Coalition took root on June 19, 2021 – Juneteenth, which commemorates the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865, nearly two and a half years after it had been issued by President Lincoln.

Judge Orders Trans Female Prisoner to Women’s Facility

November 22, 2023 | Read More

Inscoe was represented by Elizabeth Simpson, strategic director at Emancipate NC in her battle against the state’s Department of Adult Correction. Emancipate NC previously represented Inscoe during her ultimately successful fight for gender-affirming surgery last year.

Ethics probe into North Carolina justice's comments continues after federal court refuses to halt it

November 22, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC,... and other speakers defended and praised Associate Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls for filing a federal lawsuit to block a state ethics panel from investigating her public comments that she says are protected by the First Amendment.

NC prison officials must transfer transgender woman to a women’s prison, judge rules

November 21, 2023 | Read More

Elizabeth Simpson, an attorney at Emancipate NC who has been working with Inscoe on her case for more than two years, said the ruling is a huge relief considering the stress and uncertainty Inscoe has dealt with trying to advocate for herself through the prison system’s grievance process, and ultimately, through the courts.

What happens when private security patrols public streets?

November 7, 2023 | Read More

According to The New York Times, most major cities now have at least three times as many security guards as police officers on their streets. In the past couple of weeks, private security guards began patrolling areas in Austin, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina.

NC Supreme Court hears arguments on fate of Confederate monument honoring Zebulon Vance in Asheville

November 1, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC attorney Jaelyn Miller said the implications of the case are bigger than the issue at hand.

"This court, in overturning that decision, would be stepping in and overturning the will of the people and the will of the duly elected officials in Asheville, and that should alarm all of us,” Miller said.

City leaders debate whether private security group should carry guns in downtown Raleigh

October 31, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman is a social justice activist with Emancipate NC. The city of Raleigh's decision to hire armed private security for the downtown transit center raises many questions for him. Pittman said he felt unarmed security was the "more palatable" option.

"I think hiring private security in the transit area is a recipe for disaster," Pittman said. "How will they be trained? What authority would they have over these individuals as actual citizens patrolling this area?"

When will the NC Supreme Court hear Vance Monument arguments? - The Asheville Citizen Times

October 27, 2023 | Read More

"It puts us in line with other cities across the South and across the nation that are taking these steps toward recognizing what these monuments stand for and coming up with a way to see the future differently.”

Miles and Vance Monument Taskforce co-chair Oralene Simmons are organizing a media briefing in Raleigh following the Nov. 1 arguments and will be joined by Noel Nickle, a local Vance family descendant; Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer; and Jaelyn Miller, community lawyering fellow at Emancipate NC.

‘Life begins at conception’ court ruling could profoundly affect NC families, legal experts sayn near Uptown identified

October 27, 2023 | Read More

“I think the leap and the stretch and the legal gymnastics that it took to include that is very pointed,” said Dawn Blagrove, an attorney and the executive director of Emancipate NC, a social justice organization that combats structural racism, including in the criminal justice system. “I think he went out of his way to do it.”

Op-Ed: It’s Time for Durham County and Courthouse Leaders to Engage on Reforms to Foster Care System

October 23, 2023 | Read More

When Emancipate NC issued a report in 2022 on county-level reforms that the Durham Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Durham courthouse could enact to improve this system, most county leaders refused to meet with us. They told us it was too sensitive a matter and their lawyers advised them not to engage. But how DSS chooses to approach child and family welfare is a matter of public policy, just as much as the practices of the police, the sheriff, and the jail are.

What if Raleigh Had a HEART?

October 18, 2023 | Read More

More services such as shelters, mental health care and drug rehabilitation are needed downtown, according to Jaelyn Miller, a community lawyering fellow with nonprofit Emancipate NC. Right now, when someone has a mental health crisis in public, “we only have one response … they go to jail or they go to the emergency department,” she says.

“When you only have two solutions, you end up funneling everyone into one of two solutions, even though the problem is a spectrum of possibilities,” Miller says.

CRIME CMPD officer who shot, killed man near Uptown identified

October 10, 2023 | Read More

Because Lopez was walking away, attorney and executive director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove told WCNC Charlotte it is imperative the body camera footage of the police officer is released for transparency.

"Law enforcement needs to make sure that it is doing everything that it can do to be fully transparent with the community as quickly as possible, and to provide access to that body cam footage that is being paid for with tax dollars," Blagrove said.

Victims in drug scheme react to former RPD detective guilty plea, sentence

October 4, 2023 | Read More

"The Raleigh Police Department goes unchecked and is held unaccountable for the harms it causes Black and brown communities. For that, the city ought to be ashamed and Lorrin Freeman should be ashamed of herself," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

July – September 2023

Salisbury, Rowan settle suit with elderly woman who was pulled by hair at police stop

September 28, 2023 | Read More

Holmes said the case “sends a message to law enforcement and policy makers about the continued need to treat people with respect and protect their Constitutional rights during traffic stops.”

Holmes, who directs the civil litigation clinic at the North Carolina Central University School of Law, was assisted in the long-running case by at least 20 of his law students, he said. Bottom was also represented by Ian Mance, an attorney for Emancipate NC, a Durham-based civil right organization.

SCSJ asks Edenton to request a hearing on monument restraining order

September 13, 2023 | Read More

“The Confederate soldier statue in Edenton, like Confederate statues everywhere, pays homage and respect to America’s racism,” said Jaelyn Miller, community lawyering fellow for Emancipate NC, “The (Move the Monument) Coalition and citizens of Edenton deserve to have their elected officials follow through on their commitment to relocate this statue. The lawsuit holding up that commitment isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.”

Juvenile petition filed for 16-year-old student after Durham school stabbing

September 11, 2023 | Read More

Restorative justice is a system of criminal justice which focuses on the rehabilitation of offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community at large.

"Durham has a really terrific restorative justice program," [Attorney and Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn] Blagrove said. "This is the perfect situation to diffuse the situation; to have parties involved speak with one another [and] work through their grievances."

When Politicians Want to Attack the Courts, They Make Black Women Their Targets

September 9, 2023 | Read More

“The message that they’re sending is that North Carolina is a state where Black people, Black women need to be quiet, they should not speak up on the harms that face our communities, they should not talk about systemic and institutional racism that exists in every system all across this country, but specifically here in North Carolina,” [Attorney and Emanciapte NC Executive Director Dawn] Blagrove said.

Teenage boy accused of assaulting police will face adult court

September 5, 2023 | Read More

Attorney Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, an advocacy organization that has voiced support for the family, said that the...

Black North Carolina Supreme Court Judge Alleges She’s Facing Disciplinary Action After Speaking Out About ‘Lack of Diversity’ In State’s Courts; Hits Back with a Lawsuit

September 4, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls,” Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC told WTVD.

North Carolina's GOP leaders push to remove the only black woman Supreme Court judge for speaking up against racial bias

September 1, 2023 | Read More

“This is the beginning of a rallying cry for support for Justice Earls.” Emancipate NC Executive Director Dawn Blagrove says she knows this is just another hidden agenda. “What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people,” Blagrove said.

North Carolina judge investigated for saying racial bias exists files lawsuit

September 1, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the [judicial complaint] process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people,” Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said to WTVD in North Carolina. “And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls.”

Gaston family wants fairness as teens face adult charges

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"If these were white children riding their bikes, trying to get home, the situation would have been handled very differently,” [Emancipate NC's Director Dawn] Blagrove said. “I really believe that, because these are Black boys, this district attorney is using this situation to try to appear ‘tough on crime’ in a way that is having an absolutely absurd result.”

'Taking us back to Jim Crow': Black lawyers say NC Supreme Court investigation motivated by racism

August 30, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, who leads the civil rights group Emancipate NC, said the investigation is not only an attempt to remove Earls from office, but is part of a broad, Republican-backed effort to silence Black people and politicians with recent bills and laws making it easier for police to charge protesters with felony crimes, or to enact stricter voting rules.

“We are currently under a regime that is dead set on taking us back to Jim Crow,” she said.

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice refuses to back down

August 31, 2023 | Read More

“What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls,” executive director of Emancipate NC Dawn Blagrove told ABC 11.

Supporters claim North Carolina Supreme Court justice is being ‘silenced’ amid lawsuit

August 31, 2023 | Read More

“What we are seeing happen to Justice Earls is a harbinger for what’s coming for us all and that is the demise of democracy,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Suing Over Investigation into her Comments About Diversity

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"What is happening to Justice Earls is a microcosm of what is happening to every Black, brown and marginalized person in North Carolina at the hands of elected officials who are determined to drag this state back to the days of Jim Crow," commentator Dawn Blagrove said.

Supporters defend NC Supreme Court justice who filed lawsuit against judicial board

August 31, 2023 | Read More

"What we know is that the (judicial complaint) process is being bastardized in an effort to silence Black and brown people. And in this case, particularly, Justice Earls," said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

Civil rights advocates defend a North Carolina court justice suing over a probe for speaking out

August 30, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, Emancipate NC's executive director and an attorney, said the unjust investigations serve as examples of the “unrelenting trauma and hostility that Black women lawyers have to face every single day in North Carolina just to do our jobs.”

NC Family Demands Fair Treatment as Teen Brothers Face Adult Charges

August 25, 2023 | Read More

"If these were white children riding their bikes, trying to get home, the situation would have been handled very differently," [Emancipate NC's] Attorney Dawn Blagrove contended. "I really believe that, because these are Black boys, this district attorney is using this situation to try to appear 'tough on crime' in a way that is having an absolutely absurd result."

Grandmother responds to police actions after 10-yr-old autistic grandson handcuffed

August 24, 2023 | Read More

“If this officer had approached this child and this family with compassion with understanding and with humanity this baby would not have spent more than an hour in handcuffs would not have been involuntarily committed. Questioned without her being present he was treated like a criminal that in its essence is the problem,” said Attorney Dawn Blagrove

A blind man waited hours for his ride. Can Raleigh fix its paratransit system?

August 18, 2023 | Read More

“I came here to talk about proactive policing,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. “And I have the perfect solution: Instead of having 15 Raleigh police officers show up to harass people in southeast Raleigh, why don’t you send them to pick up some of these blind folks that are waiting for four hours at a time?”

Monday numbers: Lack of air conditioning in state prisons is “cooking people alive”

August 14, 2023 | Read More

“It’s just cooking people alive,” said Cierra Cobb, the prison/jail coordinator, family advocate and a podcast host for the advocacy group Emancipate NC. “Some days were unbearable. Everybody was in there sweating...It was causing tension in the block because everybody’s hot.”

Gaston County Teen Faces Attempted Murder Charge for 2021 Tangle with Police

August 4, 2023 | Read More

“Clearly the justice system here in Gastonia is not color-blind, but turns a blind eye to law enforcement brutality,” Kerwin Pittman [from Emancaipte NC] said on Thursday. “Clearly the DA is colluding with law enforcement to try to find these 15-year-old kids guilty.”

Family says NC teen who put officer in headlock was defending his brother

August 4, 2023 | Read More

"Apparently, we have to add 'riding a bike while Black' to the list of activities that can subject Black children to state sanctioned violence," Emancipate NC executive director and attorney Dawn Blagrove.

Family alleges boys mistreated by police

August 3, 2023 | Read More

"Clearly, in Gaston County, as well as Gastonia, there are two types of legal systems… One for black and brown people, and another for those who are not black and brown," Kerwin Pittman said. "(The boys) were unjustly targeted, arrested, brutalized, humiliated... All they wanted to do was go home."

Family outraged after teens charged with attempted murder after assaulting police officer

August 4, 2023 | Read More

“Multiple officers jump on these individuals as they’re on the ground. These are 15-year-old kids for God’s sake. These are kids ... trying to ride their bike home,” Kerwin Pittman from Emancipate NC said.

NC leaders discuss criminal justice reform and changes being made in the state

July 18, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate N.C. executive director Dawn Blagrove said she knows leaders on both sides are having discussions about possible changes but she doesn’t feel like change will happen anytime soon.

“There’s simply not political will to create the changes to make a fair and equitable criminal justice system here in North Carolina,” Blagrove said.

NC’s foster care system is rife with injustice. It’s about to get worse | Opinion

July 10, 2023 | Read More

"A peek behind the curtain would also reveal scores of beloved children who have been brutally separated from their parents by bureaucrats and systematically rerouted into adoptive homes that are wealthier and whiter, on average."

CMPD chief lauds governor, legislators for changes to bond and pretrial release

July 08, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate North Carolina Executive Director Dawn Blagrove described the potential 48-hour wait for a judge as “arbitrary,” and warned that it could have adverse effects, especially on people of color, The Observer reported in May.

April – June 2023

Durham mom wonders why county won’t place her kids with family in Georgia

June 25, 2023 | Read More

“DSS operates in Durham County in a manner that is overwhelmingly racist toward Black families and Black children,” Dawn Blagrove said. “DSS is emerging in a way that works with systemic and institutional racism to keep black families apart.”

High-profile attorney Ben Crump petitions the release of body-cam footage in the killing of a Black man by Wallace PD

June 23, 2023 | Read More

“It is sad that we have to file a lawsuit, a public records lawsuit, just to get a video released," Ben Crump told the crowd. "You know, transparency leads to truth."

Why the Wake DA says Raleigh police officers acted lawfully in man’s tasing death

June 22, 2023 | Read More

"District Attorney Lorrin Freeman decision not to prosecute the officers who killed Darryl Tyree Williams is disgraceful,” [Emancipate NC] wrote. “She has once again failed to protect the Black people of Wake County by rubber-stamping the murder of an unarmed man by Raleigh Police Department."

North Carolina prosecutor won’t charge officers involved in death of man during arrest

June 21, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC, a criminal justice reform group assisting Williams’ family, called Freeman’s decision not to prosecute “disgraceful. She has once again failed to protect the Black people of Wake County by rubberstamping the murder of an unarmed man by Raleigh Police Department.”

No charges filed against Raleigh officers in death of man tased multiple times in police custody

June 21, 2023 | Read More

"[I am] disgusted by the flagrant reminder that DA Lorrin Freeman gave us today that Black lives do not matter," Dawn Blagrove said.

DA: No charges for Raleigh officers after man died in their custody

June 21, 2023 | Read More

“It is sickening that still right now, right now, we have to stand here and console black mothers, ” said Dawn Blagrove, the Executive Director of Emancipate NC.

Wake DA: No charges for police officers who [tased] man outside sweepstakes parlor

June 21, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove claimed [Wake DA] Freeman has a "documented history" that shows her "unwillingness to protect all people in the community."

“Lorrin Freeman should be ashamed of her inability to bring charges in this case," Blagrove said.

Ben Crump, others demand public release of video in James Lanier’s death

June 21, 2023 | Read More

“James should be with us,” said Dawn Blagrove, an attorney with Emancipate NC.

Family urges law enforcement to release video

June 21, 2023 | Read More

In the conference on Wednesday, [Lanier's mother Janet] Brice and the family’s attorneys [including Emancipate NC] want the public to see for themselves and have their own opinion.

Raleigh advocates push for HEART program to come to the city

June 12, 2023 | Read More

Social justice advocates, like Kerwin Pittman, believes they could have prevented the deaths of individuals going through a mental health crisis, citing Reuel Rodriguez-Nunez as an example to where HEART could have helped.

Attorney Ben Crump, family of Darryl Williams addresses autopsy findings

June 9, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC filed a 12-page report to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Raleigh Police Department. The report accuses RPD of using excessive force, disregarding policies without consequence, racial profiling and spreading victim-blaming propaganda after officer-involved shootings.

Ben Crump: Wake DA needs to ‘do its part’ in case of man who died after being tased by police

June 9, 2023 | Read More

“Homicide is the death of a person at the hands of another person,” Dawn Blagrove said. “What that means is that someone has to be held responsible. We don’t want any more proactive policing, we don’t want any more Jim Crow, we don’t want any more stop and frisk.”

Attorneys call for officers to be fired, charged after Darryl Tyree Williams' autopsy release

June 9, 2023 | Read More

"What put him in a grave was tasers. He was electrocuted in a parking lot while he was minding his own business," said Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. "And we need District Attorney Lorrin Freeman to do her job."

Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump demands charges for officers after Darryl Williams' autopsy released

June 9, 2023 | Read More

"We don't want any more Jim Crow. We don't want any more stop and frisk. We don't want any more for the Black people of Raleigh to constantly have to show their freedom papers to be able to live," said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police call for criminal charges after autopsy findings

June 9, 2023 | Read More

Attorney Dawn Blagrove with the nonprofit group Emancipate N.C. also spoke at the news conference Friday and called for Freeman to bring charges against the officers involved in Williams’ death.

Attorney Ben Crump, family of Darryl Williams respond to autopsy findings in emotional address

June 7, 2023 | Read More

"We will leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of truth, justice, and accountability, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this senseless loss of life are held accountable and that meaningful changes are implemented to prevent a tragedy like this from occurring in the future,” wrote Dawn Blagrove and Kenneth Abbarno.

Weekly News Roundup: Plaintiffs Reach Settlement Over Wrongful Raleigh Police Raid

June 3, 2023 | Read More

“The Raleigh informant scandal disrupted the lives of many innocent people and caused unnecessary trauma to our clients and others who were subjected to frightening police raids and arrests through no fault of their own,” said Ian Mance.

Raleigh settles lawsuit linked to fired Raleigh detective’s drug raid on wrong home

June 2, 2023 | Read More

"Since the lawsuit was filed more than a year ago, the plaintiffs [represnted by Emancipate NC] have successfully pushed for revisions to Raleigh Police Department policies and procedures, including the use of confidential informants in drug operations and prohibiting warrants in which police enter without warning, according to a media release from the plaintiffs’ attorneys."

Families Traumatized In RPD Raid Settle With City for $350K

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC ultimately prevailed, however, successfully negotiating a settlement and, critically, putting an end to the use of no-knock warrants in Raleigh."

Raleigh mothers reach settlement in wrongful police raid lawsuit against city

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC, whose attorneys represent Irving, said the raid at her home was meant for someone being by framed by Abdullah and an informant. They said that while Irving’s address was on the search warrant, there was no evidence connecting Irving or Walton to illegal activity."

'I could have lost two kids': Mother addresses settlement following wrongful RPD raid

June 1, 2023 | Read More

"It took this long because there was a lack of compassion and a lack of willingness to accept accountability for wrongdoing by the Raleigh Police Department. And that lack of accountability," said Dawn Blagrove. "And that lack of compassion runs all the way up to Raleigh City Council."

Attorney Ben Crump retained by family of Wallace naked Black man killed in February by police

May 31, 2023 | Read More

Crump, a civil rights and personal injury lawyer, will be joined by attorney Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC and attorney Kenneth Abbarno.

“If Raleigh had a HEART program…”

May 31, 2023 | Read More

"While Durhamites fight to expand the successful [HEART] program, Raleigh drags its toes in providing people in crisis and their loved ones with the safety and care we deserve," writes Dawn Blagrove.

You’re Pregnant? Prepare to Be Drug Tested Without Consent

May 18, 2023 | Read More

“I think it’s pretty widely known that you can’t drug test a mother without her consent,” Jaelyn Miller said. "[But] [w]hat is legal and what is done in practicality are often different… Even if legally they’re not allowed to do it, they’ll still do it.”

NC bill would halt mandatory reports after prosecutors label officers as untrustworthy

May 15, 2023 | Read More

"This is disgraceful,” Dawn Blagrove said ... She described it as a step back for criminal justice reform that decreased transparency about bad cops.

Mecklenburg criminal justice leaders support more NC judge control over setting bond

May 15, 2023 | Read More

Giving the job of setting more bonds to judges would be one more setback for criminal justice reform, said Emancipate North Carolina Executive Director Dawn Blagrove.

Lawyers, family of man who died after being shocked with Taser by Raleigh police wants justice

May 5, 2023 | Read More

"I want you all to realize what the fight here in North Carolina is really about," Dawn Blagrove said. "It is about district attorneys, who have so much power and so much control, that they get to determine whether or not they are going to wrap themselves and their office around real community safety."

Attorneys, family of Raleigh man who died in police custody call on Wake DA to bring charges against officers

May 5, 2023 | Read More

“We must hold [Wake DA Lorrin Freeman] accountable to investigate the entire situation and not just the portions she picks and chooses. We do not believe the Raleigh Police Department had a constitutional grounds for interacting with Mr. Williams,” said Emancipate NC attorney Dawn Blagrove.

Darryl Williams' family urges Department of Justice to investigate Raleigh Police Department

May 5, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC filed a 12-page report to the Department of Justice calling for an investigation into the patterns and practices of the Raleigh Police Department.

Lawyer Ben Crump demands ‘full justice’ from Wake DA in Raleigh police tasing death

May 5, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove denounced the police officers involved in Williams’ case as part of a “terror unit” and said their interaction with Williams the night of his death was illegal. “District Attorney Freeman says that it is her job to follow the law, and we agree,” Blagrove said.

Group fighting for Durham family sparks change after baby taken from mother

May 1, 2023 | Read More

"We expect for the Department of Social Services to do better," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC. "We expect not to have to stand here for decades just get their children the help they needed and in turn to be demonized and criminalized."

ACLU challenges new NC law set to redefine, impose stricter punishments for riots

April 25, 2023 | Read More

“If you chill the movement and you chill the protest, then you chill the benefits to the Black and brown community,” Jaelyn Miller said.

“No right way to tear down oppressive systems”: the risks of toppling Confederate monuments

April 17, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove said that adhering to the law and “following the appropriate channels” isn’t what brings Confederate monuments down. ... “There is no ‘right’ way to tear down oppressive systems.”

Using federal prosecutors can lead to more jail time, says Durham officials

April 20, 2023 | Read More

"This is not a good thing; this is a bad trend that needs to be stopped," said Dawn Blagrove. "Longer sentences do not deter crime; if that were the case, the war on drugs would have been won now."

'Dayve is loved': Family, friends shocked to learn 18-year-old killed in suspected shoplifting case

April 12, 2023 | Read More

"The first questions that come to mind are was this necessary? Because I think we always have to prioritize life over property," Dawn Blagrove said.

This Cop Unleashed a Reign of Terror, Say the Wrongfully Accused

April 9, 2023 | Read More

“I think it’s clear to see that there is a distinctly different way that [Wake DA] Freeman and the Wake County’s District Attorney’s Office handles interactions with law enforcement,” instead of following the “gold standard” laid out in Memphis, says Dawn Blagrove.

January – March 2023 

Some New York Times best sellers are banned in NC prisons

March 29, 2023 | Read More

"When people rights and freedoms are starting to be trampled upon, outside of being incarcerated - and they shouldn't be while incarcerated - but it is extremely concerning on both sides," said Kerwin Pittman.

‘Justice for Shanquella’: Family, attorney Ben Crump speak at Livingstone College

March 25, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate's Dawn Blagrove joined other speakers calling for justice for Shanquella Robinson.

Raleigh attorney stands with Shanquella Robinson's family as they demand government to step up

March 24, 2023 | Read More

"Mexico has already done an investigation; they have already issued a warrant for arrest. And the only real holdup is for the American government to cooperate with that warrant, and extradite the people who have been, charged in this case." explained Dawn Blagrove.

'Do the right thing' | Shanquella Robinson's family, attorney, advocates demand federal action on death investigation

March 23, 2023 | Read More

"We must remember that Black lives matter and that justice for Black lives matters," Dawn Blagrove said.

Attorney to meet with US on Shanquella Robinson case

March 23, 2023 | Read More

“We have a process in place to extradite people who have come to America from Mexico ... and from all over the world to seek a better life,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of Emancipate NC. “Why can we not employ those same resources and those same processes [with] people who are a danger to folks in ... Charlotte ...?"

Riot bill stiffens punishment on protestors, has enough votes to override governor veto

March 12, 2023 | Read More

"Critics, including civil rights activists from Emancipate NC, claim the bill is aimed to deter citizens from protesting at all."

Legislation calling for stricter punishments for rioters heads for Governor Cooper's desk

March 10, 2023 | Read More

"Essentially [this bill] intimidates individuals from coming out to participate and exercise their constitutional rights," said Kerwen Pittman with Emancipate NC.

NC Senate approves tougher penalties for rioting, sending bill to Gov. Cooper

March 10, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said HB 40 was a “racist” bill “designed to harm and limit the voices of Black, brown and marginalized people.”

Tougher riot punishments approved by legislature a 2nd time

March 9, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman with Emancipate NC promised accountability to those supporting this harmful, anti-BLM bill.

North Carolina Senate advances House riot penalties bill

March 7, 2023 | Read More

“The impact will be to stifle the voices of the most marginalized communities. Make no mistake about it,” said Kerwin Pittman, a criminal justice advocate and organizer with Emancipate NC, adding that peaceful protesters wrongly arrested could lose their jobs if they are forced to be held for 24 hours.

NC street gangs growing, carrying more powerful guns than police, Governor's Crime Commission says

March 2, 2023 | Read More

For people struggling to find their way out of the gang lifestyle, [Kerwin] Pittman had one key statement of advice:

"Find somebody who is doing somebody positive and stick with them like your life depends on," he said. "I'm a Black man coming back to redeem the community I once helped to destroy."

For Black motorists, traffic stops are often far from routine

March 2, 2023 | Read More

“If your goal is to reduce the likelihood [of an escalated situation where someone gets seriously injured or killed by police] without impacting public safety in a negative way, we should think about ways we can reduce the number of low-level interactions,” said Ian Mance.

Raleigh's Thin Blue Line

March 2, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove argues against token justice in prosecuting Raleigh's police department, saying, "The only person who’s being held accountable at all for any wrongdoing is Abdullah. Even Abdullah [isn't] really being held accountable. It’s just that [Wake County DA Freeman] knew that she had to bring some ... charge."

Police keep killing Black people. Civilian watchdogs need more authority to make it stop.

February 24, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC, an advocacy group, has issued yet another call for reforms."

Police groups should have NC disciplinary board seats, state lawmakers say

February 23, 2023 | Read More

“The primary reason law enforcement is so out of control is because they are constantly in an echo chamber of their own morals, values and culture,” Dawn Blagrove, the group’s executive director, wrote in an email. “... The only way to break down the blue line is to allow people who suffer at the hands of law enforcement a seat at the accountability table.”

In Durham, Children in Foster Care Struggle to Reunite With Birth Families

February 22, 2023 | Read More

“I was literally placed on this planet to do this,” Jatoia Potts says. “I’ll continue to share my story. My kids will grow up and see later that their mom was still out there, still doing stuff, still fighting for them.”

Durham mother questions why the county won’t let her kids stay with family in Georgia

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“DSS manifests itself in an overwhelmingly racist manner toward Black families and Black children in Durham County,” Dawn Blagrove said. “DSS is emerging in a way that works with systemic and institutional racism to keep black families apart.”

Lawyers: separation of children through child welfare services ‘an ongoing form of torture that America does to Black families’

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“Durham has conducted an unfair and railroaded process in this case and has tried to break down the tides to accommodate a non-kin adoption, but there have always been kin ready, willing and able to take in Toia’s kids in Georgia,” Elizabeth Simpson said.

'Like they threw my whole family away': Durham mom questions why county won't let her kids stay with family in Georgia

February 20, 2023 | Read More

“DSS has done so many things that have caused so much harm and so much trauma and so much damage,” Toia Potts said.

This NC bill has the hallmarks of anti-protest bills sweeping the nation

February 19, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC’s Dawn Blagrove spoke loud and clear on Feb. 8 against North Carolina Republicans’ latest 'anti-rioting' bill. She told a legislative committee that the intent of House Bill 40 was to target 'Black, brown, and marginalized people' engaging in nonviolent protests."

'That's not humanity': Ben Crump calls for Raleigh officers to be charged in Darryl Williams' death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

Standing alongside Ben Crump, Kerwin Pittman and Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC spoke about injustices in the nature of Williams' death.

Civil rights attorney says man’s death in police custody compelled him to come to North Carolina

February 16, 2023 | Read More

“What we want to see is real accountability. Accountability that is acceptable to the people. Accountability that has real teeth and can bring real consequences,” Dawn Blagrove, the executive director of Emancipate NC, said.

North Carolina family seeks charges in police stun gun death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

"Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC, a criminal justice reform group, called for the officers to be fired and prosecuted. She also called for the department to end proactive policing and the use of Tasers."

Ben Crump calls for charges of manslaughter Darryl Williams' Raleigh police in-custody death

February 16, 2023 | Read More

"To the Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson, who is a Black woman and mother, we want her to give Ms. Williams the same justice she'd want for her Black child," said Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

Use of tasers by North Carolina officers in question for man who died in police custody

February 15, 2023 | Read More

“Police believe and they approach every situation with a hammer, with force, with violence. That is just not necessary. And that is especially true when it comes to interacting with Black, Brown and marginalized communities. ... Raleigh police department needs to be held accountable and had the city of Raleigh done what it should have done a long time ago, Darryl may still be alive,” said Dawn Blagrove.

Attorney says Black man tased by cops was ‘electrocuted’

February 14, 2023 | Read More

“The fact that they claim to have seen an open container and marijuana in the car sounds good and is a practice that we see repeatedly,” Dawn Blagrove said, CNN reported, adding that it’s a move not just from RPD “but from police departments across the country, where they retroactively create scenarios that protect them from the accountability and appearance of impropriety.”

6 North Carolina officers are on administrative leave after man dies in police custody

February 13, 2023 | Read More

“Now is the time for the city of Raleigh and all of America to reckon with the trauma and harm that policing causes to Black, Brown and marginalized communities,” Dawn Blagrove told CNN.

Attorney for family of man who died after being tased in police custody says he was ‘harassed’ and ‘electrocuted’

February 13, 2023 | Read More

“It’s heartbreaking to think about any person being electrocuted to death for nothing. In a parking lot, alone, begging, screaming and pleading for mercy that the Raleigh Police Department could not and would not offer him. They need to be held accountable for that,” Dawn Blagrove told CNN.

US police release video of Taser use on black man who later died

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“Emancipate NC stands behind the demands presented to Raleigh City Council and expect to see officers help accountable for Daryll Williams’ death,” said Dawn Blagrove.

Man dies after cops restrained him on the ground, ignored his warning of 'heart problems' and used stun gun on him, video shows

February 11, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC stands behind the demands presented to Raleigh City Council and expect to see officers held accountable for Darryl Williams' death," said Dawn Blagrove.

Raleigh police release video of stun gun use before man dies

February 11, 2023 | Read More

"Emancipate NC and other advocacy groups this week presented a list of demands to the Raleigh City Council. They include firing the officers involved in the arrest, retooling the city’s police advisory board and discontinuing for now the use of Tasers."

Raleigh police release body camera video in arrest of man who died after tasing

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“Darryl Williams should not be dead,” Kerwin Pittman said, noting the officers’ use of force “struck me as extremely excessive.”

Raleigh police release footage of Williams’ death in custody

February 11, 2023 | Read More

“How many times do we have to watch public executions before policing will be held accountable?” [said] Dawn Blagrove with Emancipate NC.

Raleigh Police release body cam video of night Darryl Williams died in custody

February 10, 2023 | Read More

"There needs to be accountability. These officers, there was no reason that Darryl should be dead right now. And we want to see the city of Raleigh finally take seriously the need to bring real accountability to the Raleigh Police Department," said Dawn Blagrove.

Raleigh police release body cam video of Darryl Williams’ death in custody

February 10, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate NC and Raleigh Demands Justice are calling for the creation of a new committee to look into police accountability. Click below to view the list of demands we delivered to Raleigh city council.

Bodycam footage shows repeated use of stun guns by Raleigh police before the death of Darryl Williams

February 10, 2023 | Read More

"Mr. Williams expressed he had heart conditions. They still chose to tase this man again. Why wasn't this taken into consideration?" said Kerwin Pittman, a social justice activist with Emancipate NC.

NC Supreme Court: Death row prisoner says Black jurors excluded from his murder trial

February 9, 2023 | Read More

"North Carolina courts are behind other neighboring states in terms of enforcing a 1996 U.S. Supreme Court decision that prevents prosecutors from excluding jurors on the basis of race, Ian Mance, an attorney for civil rights organization Emancipate NC, wrote."

Family of Darryl Williams gets first look at RPD bodycam video

February 9, 2023 | Read More

"What we know is that proactive policing, a.k.a. stop and frisk, is a very lazy way to do it, and it is proven to be ineffective and impacting the rate of crime," said Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, denouncing RPD's tactics.

Activists, Raleigh Residents Demand Police Reform After Daryl Williams’ Death

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“Darryl Williams is dead because RPD failed to follow its own written policies for justification and use of non-deadly force,” Dawn Blagrove said, alleging at least 16 policies were violated by officers that night.

Raleigh council agrees to review demands following Darryl Williams’ death in custody

February 8, 2023 | Read More

Click to read the full list of demands Emancipate NC and Raleigh Demands Justice made to Raleigh City Council.

Raleigh City Council votes for review of police reform demands

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"Raleigh Demands Justice, which includes Emancipate NC, ... gave city leaders a packet of information that included eight demands ranging from firing the police officers involved in Williams’ death to dismantling and rebuilding the current police advisory board."

Judge grants release of RPD bodycam in Darryl Williams case

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"There is something fundamentally wrong when the outcome of a, not even a traffic stop, literally an unprovoked interaction with law enforcement results in death," said Dawn Blagrove. "What we want to see in the city of Raleigh is investment in alternatives to law enforcement, not enhancements to law enforcement, not changes to law enforcement,"

How to Take Action on Police Brutality and Anti-Black Racism

February 8, 2023 | Read More

The post highlights Team Emancipate's work, describing our dedication to "providing community education and mobilizing against racialized mass incarceration," and more.

NC House approves controversial anti-riot bill with enough votes to override a veto

February 8, 2023 | Read More

"We should not be harming or hurting, or passing any legislation, that further marginalizes already marginalized people,” said Dawn Blagrove.

'Anti-riot' bill would increase penalties

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“This bill will pretty much give law enforcement discretion to target those out there exercising their constitutional right in protest," Pittman said, “... and I believe they are trying to stop people from protesting with legislation put forth like this.”

Racist, or necessary to protect property? Anti-rioting bill passes NC House after heavy debate

February 8, 2023 | Read More

“This bill is racist,” said Dawn Blagrove, executive director of the group Emancipate NC. “This bill is designed to harm and limit the voices of Black, brown and marginalized people.”

Police release information on officers who tased Raleigh man who died in police custody

February 2, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove denounced Raleigh's "proactive patrols," saying, "It doesn’t matter what they found in his car. What matters is that on that night, he was bothering no one. He was minding his own business.”

Too few released from NC prisons decades after teen crime convictions, advocates say

February 1, 2023 | Read More

“The legacy of slavery and racial oppression in the state is very, very deep, and it doesn’t get undone without some long, hard work,” said Elizabeth Simpson.

RPD Faces Tough Questions After Deposition in “No-Knock” Lawsuit

February 1, 2023 | Read More

“Why are you not righting this wrong?” asked Kerwin Pittman, Emancipate NC’s Policy & Program director, during the press conference. “Why are you continuing to victimize this family that was already victimized the first time by Raleigh Police Department?”

Emancipate NC, family demand apology from police after wrong address warrant

January 31, 2023 | Read More

“[This] speaks to a larger issue, a systemic issue with the Raleigh Police Department and the culture of the city of Raleigh, it’s seeming that it’s to continue the brutalization of marginalized communities,” Kerwin Pittman said.

Raleigh police told to defuse situations before resorting to force. Is new policy enough?

January 30, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman criticized the new policy as falling short: "[W]e know that when things aren’t specific in policies, it leaves room for interpretation of the officers. A lot of the times, this is where mistakes come in and lives are lost.”

Mothers subject to wrongful Raleigh PD raid want apology, police reforms

January 30, 2023 | Read More

"We call on the people of Raleigh to demand that the folks that you have given your power to use it in a way that is fair and is equitable and is just," said Dawn Blagrove. "It's systemic racism that allows police all over the country and specifically here in Raleigh to create special units and give them so much leeway that they think and behave as they are above the law."

Emancipate NC holds discusses claims Raleigh police wrongfully raided homes of two families

January 30, 2023 | Read More

Watch video of leaders with Emancipate NC holding a briefing to discuss claims that Raleigh police wrongfully invaded the private duplex homes of Yolanda Irving, Kenya Walton, and their children in 2020.

'No Justice, No Peace': Raleigh protesters join calls for justice after Tyre Nichols' death

January 29, 2023 | Read More

"Those kinds of things happen because there is lawlessness in law enforcement," Dawn Blagrove said. "We demand accountability."

Protest against police brutality held in downtown Raleigh; activists calling for justice for Tyre Nichols, Darryl Williams

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Emancipate helped organize the protest and supported protestors calling for justice for Darryl Williams and Tyre Nichols.

Protesters march in Raleigh to protest police brutality

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman of Emancipate NC speaks to protesters gathered to march in downtown Raleigh, N.C. in the wake of the deaths of Daryl Williams in Raleigh and Tyre Nichols in Memphis.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police give list of demands

January 28, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman drew a link between police violence in Memphis and Raleigh as symptoms of the same problem. “We also have to bring awareness to cases happening here in Raleigh ... It’s extremely important to highlight the injustices that are happening in your backyard.”

Edenton protest group spreads anti-monument message with billboard

January 26, 2023 | Read More

A group protesting Edenton’s Confederate monument and pushing for its removal from the town’s waterfront area is taking its case to new heights... Read the full article.

Protestors install anti-monument billboard

January 25, 2023 | Read More

“Our plan is that it stays up until the monument comes down,” local Move the Monument Coalition activist Rod Phillips said.

Family, attorneys of man killed by Raleigh police give list of demands

January 24, 2023 | Read More

Dawn Blagrove listed demands of Raleigh PD, including an end to "preventative policing," the immediate termination of the six officers involved in the murder, and removal of police Tasers until officers better understand their policies.

Family, activists demand accountability after death of Darryl Williams

January 24, 2023 | Read More

"We stand here before you with demands that are not utopian. They are real, they are tangible, and they can be achieved," said Dawn Blagrove. "Black folks in southeast Raleigh can be safe, and they deserve that."

Raleigh PD Release Report on the Death of Darryl Williams. Activists Call It ‘Propaganda.’

January 24, 2023 | Read More

“This report is designed to malign the victim, to malign the murder victim ... What matters is that on that night, he was bothering no one,” said Dawn Blagrove, denouncing RPD's "proactive policing" as nothing more than racial profiling.

Family of man who died in RPD custody wants immediate police reform

January 24, 2023 | Read More

Demanding transparency and accountability, Kerwin Pittman asked, "What side of the body did it make contact with and where on his side? Because these are important factors."

'Darryl Williams should not be dead': Family, activists voice pain from Raleigh man's fatal encounter with RPD

January 24, 2023 | Read More

"Darryl Williams should not be dead," Kerwin Pittman said. "Their initial encounter with Mr. Williams was unwarranted and unjustifiable."

Family of Darryl Williams addresses his death after Raleigh police say he was tased 3 times in their custody

January 24, 2023 | Read More

“Why, when Mr. Williams expressed he had heart conditions, why did they still choose to tase this man again?” asked Kerwin Pittman.

'I have heart problems.' Man was tased multiple times before death, RPD says he resisted arrest

January 23, 2023 | Read More

"Clearly no consideration was given to his health conditions when he expressed that he has a heart condition or heart problems ... [it] is extremely egregious for them not to take it into consideration," activist Kewin Pittman said.

Expert from George Floyd murder trial questions Raleigh police's use of taser before suspect's death

January 18, 2023 | Read More

Kerwin Pittman described how "proactive policing" leads to racial profiling: "Law enforcement wasn’t called to the scene. [Officers] just so happened to arrive on the scene, determined certain people were suspicious and wanted to pursue those people. That’s when things escalated."

Letter condemns city of Raleigh’s tactics in lawsuit after police raided wrong home

January 18, 2023 | Read More

“In defending this case, the City of Raleigh has elected to use taxpayer money to pay four private law firms, along with two City Attorneys, to employ a defense strategy that has included accusing these innocent mothers and children of criminal wrongdoing and subjected them to a battery of invasive and inappropriate questions,” Emancipate NC wrote.

Emancipate NC helps in civil rights lawsuit against city of Raleigh

January 18, 2023 | Read More

WRAL covers Emancipate's letter to the City of Raleigh regarding the questionable methods its attorneys are using to attack the character of the plaintiffs in our case against the Raleigh Police Department’s use of no-knock and quick-knock warrants.

Raleigh civil rights group calls out city over tactics in no-knock raid case

January 18, 2023 | Read More

"[The City of Raleigh] accused the mothers and their children of 'criminal wrongdoings' and asked them about gang activity," said Emancipate NC.

Activists Are Skeptical of Raleigh PD’s New De-Escalation Policy

January 4, 2023 | Read More

“When a policy lacks specifics about how you are supposed to operate, it leaves room for a lot of error. It leaves it up to the officers’ interpretation … and we know when they lean on their own interpretation, as we’ve seen in the past, they make mistakes,” Kerwin Pittman says.

Durham leaders, community members search for answers to gun violence

January 3, 2023 | Read More

"If I had positive mentorship in my life when I was a youth, I definitely wouldn't have went in the course and direction that I went in, but also (if I) just (had) economic infrastructure to make adequate living, wages for living, I definitely wouldn't have went in the route that I went in," Kerwin Pittman said.

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