FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 August 2013
For More Information: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, President, 919-394-8137
Atty. Jamie Phillips Cole, Public Policy Coordinator, 919-682-4700
Atty. Irving Joyner, Legal Redress Chair, 919-682-4700
Atty. Al McSurely, Communications Chair, 919-682-4700
While Grieving the Unconstitutional Laws at the General Assembly
DURHAM - The purpose of the Moral Monday Movement has always been to shine the clear light of justice on the extreme regressive policies of the Pope-Koch financed group that took over the NC Republican Party a few years ago. This regressive group secretly engineered a race based gerrymandering scheme that was not subject to a veto by Gov. Perdue in 2010. This most race based redistricting plan since the 19th Century - that stacks, packs and bleaches the African American and minority vote - allowed them to seat a "super-majority" in the People's House on Jones Street, although a majority of the voters voted against them!
The North Carolina NAACP has chalked up eight years of experience fighting the shadowy Pope-Koch forces. We watched them insinuate their mean-spirited policies into the public discourse. While we built a broad progressive coalition of over 150 partners in our Historic Thousands on Jones Street Movement . . . while we helped pass laws that strengthened democracy and fairness in our beloved North Carolina . . . the Pope-Koch forces of bias, and backwardness took over Mr. Lincoln's Grand Old Party and made a U-Turn on Jones Street, promoting and passing an agenda that assaulted moral, human, and constitutional rights of the vast majority of North Carolinians - evidenced by the new voter suppression law, the worst and most vulgar attempt to manipulate elections in this country.