New North Carolina Project Weekly Bulletin
Introducing our regional organizers, Black History Month, redistricting, and more from the desk of our digital director, Kristen Havlik.
Meet Austin Bryant, one of our Regional Organizers
Austin is the organizer for the Fayetteville area. Austin has been in the Raleigh area for many years, but is now an Organizer in the Greater Fayetteville area. In 2020, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from East Carolina University. His previous experience includes an internship within Congresswoman Deborah Ross’ District Office and on the re-election campaign of Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria.
Redistricting & Voter ID Updates
Maps have been drawn in the NC legislature this week ahead of the deadline of today, February 18. The Congressional map above is the map that was passed in the NC Legislature last night.
Important Dates to know:
February 21- Parties must submit comments on maps
February 23rd by 12PM- Trial court must choose a map
February 23rd by 5pm- Any motion for an emergency stay must be filed with the court
February 24th- Candidate filing re-opens if emergency stay is not filed
The NC State Supreme Court issued its opinion on Monday to describe how the NC legislature could identify if the new maps are constitutional with the NC Constitution. Also on Monday the NC State Supreme Court heard arguments whether legislators elected from illegal districts could legitimately put constitutional amendments on the ballot. NC Republicans have been attempting to mandate state IDs to be shown when voting, further suppressing the right to vote for many North Carolinians. The Voter ID law has been making its rounds to various levels of the court system over the last few years. The Voter ID law has still not become a law yet, but we are keeping a close eye out along with our partners at VoteRiders.
Check Your Voter Registration>>[link removed]
In the News
Dr. Steele was on Just Solutions on Free Speech TV this week talking about redistricting in NC. Watch her segment here! >>[link removed]
Our next Town Hall is about the Economy and it's coming up on Wednesday, March 2. We're excited to have Braxton Brewington, Press Secretary for The Debt Collective, Shaina Blackwell-Outlaw, Roxboro City Councilwoman and Nathan Click, Candidate for NC-6.
Sign Up to Join Us >> [link removed]
NC Education & COVID News
NC Republicans are proposing a bill to make mask wearing optional for students in public schools. It was also announced on Monday that a COVID vaccine for children under 5 would be delayed until at least April. And Governor Roy Cooper announced on Thursday afternoon that he is recommending no more mask mandates.
Our partners at EveryChild NC, will be unpacking everything in the Leandro Plan starting with a virtual panel on February 23 to talk about what Leandro means to Black Students and Families. Join them live at 7pm on 2/23 HERE!
MERCH STORE IS OPEN!
You've been asking for t-shirts and hoodies and we're finally making them available to everyone! You can grab your NNCP apparel through the link below on our website! Quantities are limited as this is our first run of merch, so get your swag now!
SHOP NOW>> [link removed]
TAKE ACTION NOW
No canvassing or phone banking this weekend as we are in Robeson County serving the Lumbee community. We will pick back up on canvassing and phone banking on 2/26.
Democracy is not a spectator sport and we need you to put in the time, effort and/or money to mobilize people to the polls in May and November and every election after that.
Find a volunteer shift>> [link removed]
Black History Month
The Wilmington Ten
In 1971, Wayne Moore, Ann Sheppard, James McKoy, Willie vareen, Marvin Patrick, Reginald Espps, Benjamin Chavis Jr, Willie Wright, Connie Tindal and Jerry Jacobs participated in a protest and boycott against white high school administrators who resisted desegregation in their schools and to demand honor for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1954, segregation in school was deemed unconstitutional, but schools were federally mandated to become desegregated in 1969.
Upon the desegregation of schools, Black students faced threats and bullying as well as riots from white people to protest integration where the KK was patrolling the streets. Tensions mounted between Black students and the KKK and other white supremacists, and the Wilmington Ten were under threat and were shot at by snipers. They were later arrested, charged and sentenced for arson and conspiracy from firebombing a white owned grocery store, although there is no evidence that they committed arson. The Wilmington Ten spent almost a decade in prison before their sentences were commuted by Governor Jim Hunt in 1978 and their sentences were overturned by a federal appellate court in 1980. In 2012, Governor Beverly Purdue officially pardoned all of them for unjust convictions.
Read More About The Wilmington Ten >> [link removed]
Starbucks Store Unionizing in Raleigh, NC
Earlier this week, Starbucks partners at a store in Raleigh, NC filed a petition to organize a union within their workplace through Starbucks Workers United. This is the first Starbucks store in NC to express interest in unionizing, after Starbucks partners in Buffalo, NY successfully unionized late last year. NC is a "right to work" state since our law was ratified in 1947 which greatly limited the power of labor unions. The law made it illegal to mandate employees be a part of a union as a condition of their employment and makes it illegal to collect union dues out of worker's paychecks. However, unionizing in NC is not illegal.
Check Your Voter Registration
We’re no stranger to voter suppression in our state. So we encourage you to check your voter registration often as board of elections offices purge voters from time to time.
NC Voter Registration Look Up [[link removed]]Help us reach our goals in 2022
With your generosity, we are able to build a permanent infrastructure that will increase voter registration and turnout as well as take care of our communities of color, in and outside of election cycles.
Becoming a Recurring Donor [[link removed]][link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]] [link removed] [[link removed]]
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