A few years ago, I was asked to join the NCLEJ Board of Directors. This was followed by a conversation with Executive Director Dennis Parker.
I learned about the work to end discriminatory traffic fines and fees that keep so many communities of color trapped in cycles of debt, a modern form of wealth extraction.
I learned about the work to expand access to public benefits, where burdensome applications get in the way of families being able to put food on the table.
And, I learned about campaigns to advocate for a living wage, safety and dignity on the job, and protecting the sacred right to organize.
I look to NCLEJ's model of strategic impact litigation combined with grassroots activism as a path toward advancing racial and economic justice.
NCLEJ's team of movement lawyers is changing the stakes on some of the most urgent issues of our time. I just keep thinking, "More people should know about NCLEJ."
P.S. If you have downtime this holiday, I'd recommend watching NCLEJ Catalyst Awards, a celebration of Joyful Justice. I was blown away by hearing two emerging activists, Phylicia Brown and Jalonda Hill, share solutions to community-led public safety in Buffalo. You can also watch the incredible performances of Buffalo-based artists Drea D'Nur and Naila Ansari who embodied the power of art to inspire and transform.
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice advances racial and economic justice through ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. We have provided legal representation and support since 1965.
