ORANGE COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO HOST JOB FAIR

Media Contact

John Cooley

Department of Social Services

Phone: 919.245.2821

jcooley@orangecountync.gov

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

ORANGE COUNTY, NC (February 6, 2015)—The Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) encourages members of the community to print their resume, dress for success and prepare to make a positive impression with more than 30 potential employers planning to participate in an upcoming Job and Resource Fair.

 

The event will take place from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, at the Department of Social Services located at 113 Mayo Street in Hillsborough.

 

This event is an excellent opportunity for employers to meet potential employees with a variety of skill sets, from experienced professionals to talented entry level individuals. Orange County’s goal is to provide a Job Fair where each employer leaves with several possible candidates for hire.

 

The Job and Resource Fair will be open to the public and door prizes will be awarded. Please visit www.ncworks.gov for assistance with resume building, interview tips and a host of other useful job search topics.

 

This marks the fourth community Job Fair sponsored by DSS.  During the September 2014 event, more than 50 employers served 300 residents who were seeking employment opportunities.  Several people were employed as a result of the job fair experience.

 

Employers who are interested in participating in the Job Fair need to reserve their space now. Booth space, parking, private offices to conduct interviews, Internet access, and lunch will be provided at no charge. Applicants will have access to a computer lab to complete online applications. A federal tax incentives seminar will be hosted for hiring managers from 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. and will include a continental breakfast.

 

For more information or to reserve a booth, please call John Cooley at 919.245.2821 or Randy Haynes at 919.245.4343.

 

###

 

Regards,

 

Carla Banks

Director of Public Affairs

Orange County Government

200 S. Cameron Street

Hillsborough, NC 27278

 

Office: 919.245.2302

Mobile: 919.475.6650

www.orangecountync.gov

Read More

Rep. Jon Hardister Announces Committee Assignments

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 28th, 2015

Raleigh, NC - Rep. Jon Hardister (R - Guilford) has been appointed to serve on seven committees in the 2015-16 session of the NC General Assembly. He will serve as chair of two of those committees.

Hardister's committee assignments are as follows:

ABC Committee - Chair

Appropriations Capital Subcommittee - Chair

Banking Committee

Education Committee

Elections Committee

Judiciary-1 Committee

Transportation Committee

"It will be a privilege to serve on each of these committees," Hardister said. "I am honored by the opportunity to chair two committees in the current legislative session. As always, my focus will be on supporting the passage of sound legislative policy."

In addition to receiving his committee assignments, Hardister re-hired Jayne Nelson to serve as his legislative assistant. Hardister also hired Logan Martin, a recent graduate of UNC-Greensboro, to serve as his legislative research assistant. 

"Our conservative majority in the state legislature will continue working to improve the overall state of affairs in North Carolina," Hardister said. "We will work to enhance our economy; strengthen public education; improve our transportation system; and ensure that tax dollars are spent responsibly."

The 2015 legislative session convened on Wednesday, January 14th and is expected to last through June of this year.

Read More

Wake County D.A. Dismisses Moral Monday Protester Charges

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 19, 2014

Contact: Tom Wolf, NC NAACP - tiwolf13@gmail.com or 504-940-4441

Wake County D.A. Dismisses Moral Monday Protester Charges

A Statement from the North Carolina NAACP

RALEIGH, NC - This morning, the Interim Wake County District Attorney dismissed charges against many of the Moral Monday protesters. The dismissals represent a victory for the "Rule of Law" in North Carolina and uphold the rights of citizens to protest and instruct their representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly, the People's House. The North Carolina NAACP released this statement:

Read More

News Conference to Address Senator Berger's Misleading Voter Information

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 15, 2014

Contact: Tom Wolf, NC NAACP - tiwolf13@gmail.com or 504-940-4441

Corrected:

News Conference to Address Senator Berger's Misleading Voter Information

10:00 a.m.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

RALEIGH, NC: One of the primary tactics used by the extremist right to confuse voters in North Carolina has been to spread false information. Most recently, this manifested itself in the form of a television ad endorsed by the North Carolina Senate Leader Phil Berger, in which the Senator blatantly distorts key elements of the new voting laws. 

Read More

This Labor Day a Moral Monday with a Three-City Tour

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2014

 

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

 

 

The NC NAACP and the Forward Together Movement Join the NC AFL-CIO and Workers to Make This Labor Day a Moral Monday with a Three-City Tour

 

 

Moral Monday - Labor Day

Monday, Sept. 1, 2014

 

Raleigh Stop

9 am - Press conference

Nash Square

201 S. Dawson St., Raleigh

 

Greensboro Stop

11 am - Press conference

Beloved Community Center

417 Arlington St, Greensboro

 

Charlotte Stop

5:30 pm - Moral Monday Rally

Marshall Park

800 E. Third St, Charlotte

 

Read More

Moral Week of Action at NC Capitol

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 19, 2014

 

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

 

 

The North Carolina NAACP and the Forward Together Movement to Announce Moral Week of Action at NC Capitol Wednesday before Clergy Deliver Letter to State Leadership

 

 

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 20

2 pm

North Carolina State Capitol - Front steps

1 E. Edenton St, Raleigh, NC 

 

 

RALEIGH - Standing alongside justice-loving coalitions across the South and the nation, the North Carolina NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement are mobilizing for a Moral Week of Action at the end of August to challenge the regressive policies coming out of the General Assembly. Instead of using its short session to repeal and remedy the devastating laws passed last summer, the state legislative leadership made the situation worse this session.

Read More

The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement Leads Seven Days of Moral Action at the State Capitol in Raleigh

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2014

 

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

 

 

Other States Coordinating Similar Efforts Across the South and Beyond

 

 

RALEIGH - The North Carolina NAACP and its coalition partners in the Forward Together Moral Movement are mobilizing for a Moral Week of Action at the State Capitol from August 22-28 to challenge the ongoing extremist legislative attack on poor people and minorities in the state.

 

Across the South and the nation, coalitions in other states are coordinating their own campaigns during the Moral Week of Action at their state capitols to protest extremists that are using the legislature and governor's office to take aim at the country's most vulnerable communities.

Read More

Walker and Fjeld Campaigns Announce Debate Agreement for the 6th Congressional District

MARK WALKER FOR U.S. CONGRESS                              MEDIA CONTACT: Scott Luginbill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 8, 2014                        scott@walker4nc.com | (336) 500-3002

Walker and Fjeld Campaigns Announce Debate Agreement

(6th Congressional District) – Congressional candidates Mark Walker (Republican) and Laura Fjeld (Democrat) released a joint statement announcing their agreement on the number and location of debates in the 6th Congressional District election:

"In an effort to focus on the issues that matter most to voters in the District, our campaigns have agreed to participate in debates in both the Greensboro and Raleigh areas. We believe this will present voters with a full and fair examination of the issues, the candidates, and our positions."

Read More

The NC NAACP Joins Latino and Immigrant Advocacy Groups in Condemning Governor's Media Misinformation Campaign about Central American Children Fleeing to the US

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

The North Carolina NAACP Joins Latino and Immigrant Advocacy Groups in Condemning Governor's Media Misinformation Campaign about Central American Children Fleeing to the US

News Conference

Friday Aug. 8

1 pm

Pullen Memorial Baptist Church

1801 Hillsborough St.

Raleigh, NC 27605

DURHAM, NC - The North Carolina NAACP, the Forward Together Moral Movement and Latino rights organizations in North Carolina will stand together to challenge North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory for pandering to racial fears in statements about Central American children fleeing violence at home and coming to the United States.

Read More

Butterfield Introduces Bill to Provide Immediate Medical Leave for New VA Employees with Service-Connected Disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) has introduced H.R. 5323, the Medical Leave for Veterans Act.  The bill seeks to ensure that newly-hired returning veterans with service-connected disabilities who are full-time Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees are able to receive the medical care they need without having to take unpaid leave. 

Under current law, full-time Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees accrue a total of 104 hours, or 13 days, of annual sick leave.  While unused annual sick leave may be carried over from year to year, first-year full-time VA employees start their careers in the federal workforce with a zero sick leave balance.  This lack of initial leave for full-time VA workers in their first year on the job is particularly onerous for those who are also disabled veterans. 

“I am pleased to introduce this important bill with Representatives Jones, Lynch, and Price that will enable disabled veterans working for the VA to receive the care they need and have earned,” Congressman G. K. Butterfield said.  “Too often disabled veterans must take unpaid leave during their first year of public service to attend medical appointments or physical therapy due to service-connected disability.  This bill will benefit veterans working at VA facilities in Durham, Elizabeth City, Goldsboro, Greenville, and throughout North Carolina.  I urge my colleagues to pass this bill to enable employees of the VA who are veterans to access the care they need without sacrificing their livelihoods.”   

Specifically, Butterfield’s bill would:

• Provide first-year VA employees with a service-connected disability rating of 30% or greater with 104 hours of “Medical Leave for Veterans” for the purposes of undergoing medical treatment for their disability.
• Require the Secretary of the VA to implement a system for certification for such leave.
• Limit any unused “Medical Leave for Veterans” from being carried over to the following year.
• Provide medical leave to all first-year VA veteran employees with service-related disability, including non-combat related injuries.  It also covers employees as defined in chapters 73 or 74 of title 38, U.S.C., and includes physicians, dentists, registered nurses, optometrists, physician assistants, and podiatrists. 

If passed, the Veterans Medical Leave Act would take effect one year after enactment, and require the VA to issue regulations within six months of enactment.

The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Walter Jones (NC-03), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), and David Price (NC-04), and compliments H.R. 5229 which impacts title 5 federal employees, but not title 38 VA employees, with service-connected disabilities. 

###

Read More

Backed by NC NAACP and the Forward Together Movement, GOP Mayor Makes 273-Mile Trek to the U.S. Capital to Petition Lawmakers to Save Rural Hospitals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 14, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

Backed by NC NAACP and the Forward Together Movement, GOP Mayor Makes 273-Mile Trek to the U.S. Capital to Petition Lawmakers to Save Rural Hospitals

The NC NAACP and the mayor will provide updates on a press call tomorrow about his march and the complaint filed under the Civil Rights Act against the hospital corporation

Press Call

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

2 pm

Please click HERE to register for tomorrow's call.

(After registering, you will receive the call-in number and access code.)

DURHAM, NC - Flanked by Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the North Carolina NAACP; Bill Booth of the local Hyde Co. branch; and other community leaders, Mayor Adam O'Neal of Belhaven began the first leg of his 14-day, 273-mile walk to the nation's capital today to petition lawmakers for help with a rural healthcare crisis that has already cost lives and threatens the well-being of thousands more in his community.

O'Neal, a Republican, has worked with the NC NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement since the Vidant Health hospital corporation purchased and announced the closing of his town's Pungo District Hospital.

Tomorrow at 2 pm, he will join Dr. Barber and Dr. Charles Boyette, who has served as the Belhaven town doctor for the past 50 years, on a press call to speak about his Moral March. Dr. Barber will also provide updates on the Title VI complaint, which the NC NAACP filed against Vidant on the grounds that closing Pungo District Hospital would disproportionately risk the lives of people of color in the surrounding communities.

Earlier this year, the NC NAACP filed a Title VI complaint under the Civil Rights Act, arguing that the hospital closing would disproportionately impact minorities. The Department of Justice offered mediation, and Vidant Health agreed to a mediated settlement under which the hospital was to be returned to the community. But the terms of the settlement were not adhered to, the hospital shut its doors on July 1 and the NAACP has refiled its federal complaint.

Thousands in O'Neal's region must now travel as many as 84 miles to receive critical care. On the first day of his walk, the mayor set off in memory of Portia Gibbs, 48, the first person to die for lack of emergency care since the hospital's closing. Her husband and her children met O'Neal outside the Belhaven hospital today at 9 a.m. to see the mayor off.

Dr. Barber said a prayer to bless the journey and then joined O'Neal on the walk out of Belhaven. He will also march with the mayor tomorrow out of Plymouth, NC - Dr. Barber's hometown.

 

Once in Washington D.C., O'Neal plans to petition U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and members of Congress to take immediate steps to support small-town hospitals. O'Neal believes that hospital corporations are buying and closing rural health facilities to cherry pick patients who are wealthy and/or well-insured while leaving thousands without emergency care. Expanding Medicaid, and embracing a program in the Affordable Care Act called Accountable Care Organizations are two ways to prevent this deadly trend.

For more information, please check out the campaign website at SaveOurHospital.org.

WHAT:          Press Call on Republican Mayor's 273-Mile March to Washington DC along 

with NC NAACP's Continued Campaign to Save Rural NC Hospital

WHO:            Adam O'Neal, Republican, Mayor of Belhaven, NC  

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president, North Carolina NAACP 

Dr. Charles Boyette, Belhaven's town doctor for the past 50 years

WHEN:          Tuesday, July 15 at 2 p.m. (ET)

WHERE:       To register for the call - and retrieve the call-in number - click HERE.

###

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. The NC Conference of NAACP Branches is 70 years old this year and is made up of over 100 Adult, Youth and College NAACP units across the state, convenes more than 160 members of the Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People's Assembly Coalition, and is the architect of the Moral Monday & Forward Together Movement.

Read More

Butterfield: Wilson County Early Voting Plan will Disenfranchise Voters

For Release: Immediate                                                                                                                             Contact: Kim Atterbury

July 11, 2014                                                                                                                                                         Office: 202.225.3101

Butterfield: Wilson County Early Voting Plan will Disenfranchise Voters

Wilson, NC - Today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) sent a letter to the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) asking they approve an early voting plan that does not restrict voters' access to the polls.  Yesterday, the Wilson County Board of Elections approved an early voting plan that excludes Sunday voting and does not provide for any early voting sites outside of the City of Wilson.  This misguided decision was made at a public meeting where residents were denied the right to comment prior to the

 Board voting. 

Butterfield wrote, "I am extremely concerned about the latest actions taken by the Board because they will ultimately disenfranchise voters and stifle electoral participation. 

Public support for Sunday voting was clearly demonstrated at yesterday's Board meeting where two dozen residents attempted to voice support but Board Chairman Robert Brown did not let them speak prior to the vote.  Residents of Wilson County were rightfully outraged with their inability to offer public comment during Thursday's meeting. 

Restricting voter access amounts to voter suppression, not voter protection."  Because the vote of the Wilson County Board of Elections was not unanimous, the ultimate fate of the plan will be decided by the North Carolina Board of Elections. 

Butterfield's letter to the North Carolina State Board of Elections follows.

July 11, 2014

Mr. Joshua B. Howard

Chairman

North Carolina State Board of Elections

441 North Harrington Street

Raleigh, North Carolina 27603

Dear Chairman Howard:

I write regarding the public meeting held by the Wilson County Board of Elections (Board) on Thursday, July 10, 2014.  I am extremely concerned about the latest actions taken by the Board because they will ultimately disenfranchise voters and stifle electoral participation. 

The Board, with a 2 - 1 vote, approved the plan establishing hours and locations for early voting for the November 2014 general election.  The plan passed by the Board would add another polling place inside the Wilson city limits bringing the total number of polling places inside the city limits to three with none located in the county.  Forty percent of the population of Wilson County lives outside the city limits which will surely be an impediment to their desire to participate in early voting.  The plan also excluded Sunday voting.  This action will further limit voter participation, particularly among African Americans and senior citizens.  I believe this move is the result of recent actions by the General Assembly to make it more difficult to vote. 

Wilson County has a history of Sunday voting including as recently as the 2012 general election and is widely supported by Wilson County residents.  Public support for Sunday voting was clearly demonstrated at yesterday's Board meeting where two dozen residents attempted to voice support but Board Chairman Robert Brown did not let them speak prior to the vote.  Residents of Wilson County were rightfully outraged with their inability to offer public comment during Thursday's meeting. 

I understand that because the Board's vote was not unanimous, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) is compelled to render a decision on the plan.  I have been informed that Board member Chip Futrell, who was the dissenting vote to yesterday's plan, will request to speak at the NCSBE meeting on this issue and present an alternative plan for Wilson County.  I respectfully request you permit him to formally address the NCSBE so that the residents of Wilson County will have every opportunity to voice their opinion and have the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote for their candidates of choice. 

Restricting voter access amounts to voter suppression, not voter protection.  I ask that you not participate in this obvious plan to limit voter participation in Wilson County.  I request that you enact a fair plan for early voting that will make voting accessible for all citizens.

Thank you very much.

                                                                                Very truly yours,

                                                                                G. K. Butterfield

                                                                                Member of Congress

cc:           Ms. Rhonda K. Amoroso

                Mr. Joshua D. Malcolm

                Mr. Paul J. Foley

                Ms. Maja Knicker

                Ms. Kim Westbrook Strach

                Mr. Robert D. Brown

                Mr. Joel Killion

                Mr. Chip Futrell

                Ms. Rena' Morris

                Ms. Tasha Bell

http://Butterfield.House.Gov

###

Read More

President of the NC NAACP Showing the Necessity for Federal Preclearance Protections in North Carolina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 11, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

Jamie Phillips Cole, jamie.cole@naacpnc.org or 919.682.4700

U. S. Senate Testimony of Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President of the NC NAACP        Showing the Necessity for Federal Preclearance Protections in North Carolina

A copy of Dr. Barber's testimony can be found HERE.

 DURHAM, NC - To explain how North Carolina has seen its expansive voter protections rolled back since the Shelby Co. v. Holder decision gutted the Voting Rights Act's Section V preclearance requirement, NC NAACP President Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II was invited to present written testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary as it consider its Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014.

"Since the Supreme Court's ruling in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder, inclusive democracy is under attack in ways that dangerously and disproportionately imperil voters of color," Dr. Barber wrote. "North Carolina is a stark example of the continued need for the Voting Rights Act. The full protections of the Voting Rights Act remain necessary to ensure that the promises of the Reconstruction Amendments are kept."

This national debate over a proposed Voting Rights Amendment Act is taking place just as the NC NAACP, that Dr. Barber leads, finished a week of presenting testimony in the U.S. Court, challenging was most observers have called the worst voter suppression law to be passed in the South since Jim Crow. The NC NAACP and its legal team await the decision of whether to grant a preliminary injunction of the voter suppression law by the federal judge who conducted the four-day hearing. He said the decision would come "sooner than later."   

The legal team, led by the Advancement Project, presented documentary and testimonial evidence that emphasized the law, passed by Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate leader Phil Berger, and Gov. Pat McCrory in a last-minute rush 11 months ago, violated the 14th, 15th and 26th Amendments and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act because it disproportionately impacted people of color, the elderly, young people, women and other minority groups.

A full copy of Dr. Barber's testimony can be accessed HERE. The Forward Together Moral Movement will be circulating copies to all of North Carolina's representatives in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. 

 

###

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. The NC Conference of NAACP Branches is 70 years old this year and is made up of over 100 Adult, Youth and College NAACP units across the state, convenes more than 160 members of the Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People's Assembly Coalition, and is the architect of the Moral Monday & Forward Together Movement. 

Read More

Closing Arguments in the Hearing over a Preliminary Injunction against the Voter Suppression Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 10, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

As Lawyers Begin Closing Arguments in the Hearing over a Preliminary Injunction against the Voter Suppression Law, the NC NAACP Plaintiffs Available to Discuss Case

Media Availability

Thursday, July 10, 2014

As court ends - circa 3 pm expected

U.S. District Courthouse

251 N. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Lawyers for the North Carolina NAACP and its co-plaintiffs will begin its closing arguments today, asking U.S. District Judge Thomas Schroeder to issue a preliminary injunction against the monster voter suppression law ahead of the November elections. After the court recesses for the day, the NC NAACP plaintiffs and the Forward Together Moral Movement will be available for media interviews on the courthouse steps in Winston-Salem.

"This has been a truly historic week for the people of North Carolina, particularly for those who may find themselves disenfranchised in a few months if this law is allowed to stand," said Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the North Carolina NAACP. "To our courageous, justice-loving plaintiffs and to our hard-working, justice-loving attorneys, we in the Forward Together Moral Movement say, 'Thank you.'"

A number of the NC NAACP plaintiffs, including Ms. Rosanell Eaton, Ms. Mary Perry, Rev. Jimmie Hawkins of Covenant Presbyterian Church and Rev. John Mendez, will be available for media. The NC NAACP has been represented in federal court this week by Atty. Irv Joyner of NCCU Law; Atty. Adam Stein of Chapel Hill; Advancement Project and attorneys with Kirkland Ellis, LLP.

WHO:                         The NC NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement

WHAT:                      Media availabilities

WHEN:                      Today after court recesses - most likely around 3 pm

WHERE:                   U.S. District Court

                                    251 N. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC

###

Read More

NAACP Challenges the Voter Suppression Law in Federal Court July 7

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 2, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

Moral Mondays Come to Winston-Salem for Launch of Moral March to the Polls as the North Carolina NAACP Challenges the Voter Suppression Law in Federal Court July 7

Monday, July 7, 2014

9:30 am

Hearing on Preliminary Injunction

U.S. District Courthouse

251 N. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC

5:30 pm

Moral Monday Rally

Corpening Plaza

237 W. First St, Winston-Salem, NC

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - Shortly after the North Carolina NAACP challenges the monster voter suppression law in federal court in Winston-Salem on Monday, July 7, the Forward Together Moral Movement calls people to the first Moral March to the Polls rally a few blocks away to stand up for North Carolinians' right to vote.

"The Forward Together Movement is fighting back against this extremist attempt to obstruct and hobble the votes of North Carolinians in the courts and in the streets of Winston-Salem on July 7," said Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, president of the North Carolina NAACP. "Already, the Moral March to the Polls and Moral Freedom Summer are translating our energy from the actions in Raleigh to the grassroots organizing we'll need to galvanize the state in November. As we broaden and deepen this good work of mobilizing returning voters and registering new ones, we will embark on an intense campaign of Get-Out-the-Vote rallies, canvassing, voter education and Moral Monday actions."

In order to prevent the new voting restrictions from robbing North Carolinians of the franchise this November, the NC NAACP has filed for a preliminary injunction against the 2013 law, which many have characterized as the worst voter suppression bill passed since Jim Crow.

Led by Atty. Irving Joyner of NC Central Law; Atty. Adam Stein of Chapel Hill; Kirkland Ellis, LLP and Advancement Project, the NC NAACP legal team will argue that the new law will disproportionately disenfranchise people of color, the poor, students, the elderly and the disabled this November and should be enjoined to protect the fundamental voting rights of thousands of North Carolinians. If successful, the state would be forced to restore same-day registration, a full calendar of early voting, pre-registration for 16 and 17 year-olds and provisional ballots across precinct lines.

After the first day of the hearing concludes, people will gather nearby at Corpening Plaza starting at 5:30 pm for the first Moral March to the Polls rally. Moral leaders, policy experts and everyday people who have been hurt by this regressive public policy agenda at the NCGA will discuss the importance of getting out into the streets this summer to organize, mobilize, educate and register voters.

WHO:                         The NC NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement

WHAT:                      Preliminary Injunction Hearing & Moral March to the Polls Rally

WHEN:                      Monday, July 7, 2014

9 am - Preliminary Injunction Hearing

                                    5:30 pm - Moral March to the Polls Rally

WHERE:                   Preliminary Injunction Hearing

                                   U.S. District Court - Winston-Salem

                                   251 N. Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101

                                    Moral March to the Polls Rally

                                    Corpening Plaza

                                    237 W. First St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101

 

###

Read More

Open Letter Calling for a Deadline Extension for Eugenics Victims to Apply for Compensation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 30, 2014

Contact: Sarah Bufkin, NC NAACP - smbufkin@gmail.com or 404.285.3413

The North Carolina NAACP and the Forward Together Movement Release an Open Letter Calling for a Deadline Extension for Eugenics Victims to Apply for Compensation

A copy of the letter is included below and can also be accessed HERE.

RALEIGH, NC -  The North Carolina NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement are releasing an open letter calling upon Senate Leader Phil Berger, House Speaker Thom Tillis, Gov. Pat McCrory and all legislators in the NC General Assembly to extend the June 30 deadline for victims of the state's sterilization program to apply for the $50,000 compensation set aside for each victim.

In 2013, the General Assembly finally passed a bill that included a $10 million fund to provide restitution for the estimated 5,000 victims of the state's eugenics laws. Anyone who wishes to apply for compensation must submit a formal application by Monday, June 30. As of the middle of June, less than 600 of the estimated 1,800 victims have applied for their compensation.

North Carolina has a moral responsibility to find these men and women, and the Forward Together Movement asks this state legislature to fulfill that responsibility with the urgency it deserves.

  

The NC NAACP's open letter is included below:

 

30 June 2014

North Carolina Legislators

16 W. Jones Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

Dear Legislators of North Carolina:

 

The North Carolina NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement call on you to extend the deadline for victims of the NC eugenics program to 'Apply for Compensation' by a year until June 30, 2015. But a year's extension is the minimum; there should not be a deadline that blocks these victims from claiming their compensation. This proposed $50,000 does not make up for our state forcibly taking their right to bear children, but it does start to make amends of the terrible wrong that was done. And we should not exclude some of these victims from the process with an arbitrary application deadline.

One bill to extend the deadline has already been introduced this session, but the House leadership has left it buried in committee. If state legislators work to extend this deadline, they will show they are serious about making amends. If they do not, we will know that this restitution program is merely a political ploy to get political points in an election year.

This is not a political issue. Eighty-five years ago, the state of North Carolina began preying on poor, marginalized people - many of whom were women of color - and forcibly sterilizing them using race-based logic of so-called social engineering. That eugenics program wasn't stopped until 1974. But our lawmakers have only given victims about a year to file for compensation. They provided no money for an aggressive outreach campaign to find these people, relying instead on the beneficence of nonprofit and advocacy groups to undertake the hard work of locating individuals on the basis of incomplete and long-outdated state records. This arbitrary deadline of one year contradicts the moral obligation to rectify the decades of inhumane treatment. There should be grace in this situation and, therefore, a grace period in this deadline.

About 1,400 living victims of the eugenics program have not applied for the compensation because of lack of state outreach. We ask that you to consider the reasons these victims were chosen for the eugenics program in the first place - they were marginalized, poor and without a voice, and now there has been little to no effort or resources from the state to locate these people and help them prepare their applications. These victims have suffered for years, in some cases enduring immense physical and psychological trauma.

While there should not be a deadline, we call on you at a minimum to extend this deadline by a year until June 30, 2015 and to commit additional energy and resources to an aggressive outreach campaign in the media and at the grassroots level. Let the state be as zealous locating the between two and four thousand victims and their heirs as it was when it tracked them down in their early teens, convinced the eugenics board they were defective people and then removed their reproductive organs. The extension will not significantly delay payments, since according to the present law no one receives payment until July 2015. 

Compensation will not make these victims whole. But it is a sign that the State of North Carolina wishes to repair the injuries it caused some of her citizens.

Please, do the right thing.

 

Sincerely,

 

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II

President of the North Carolina NAACP

A PDF version of the letter can be found  HERE and can be accessed on the NC NAACP website. 

 

###

Read More