It has been a busy Spring and Summer at NCLEJ. Here are advocacy highlights and case announcements about our work to defend racial justice movements in Buffalo, New York, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. We have a case moving forward in our work to increase access to SNAP food benefits and welfare. For up to the minute updates, please follow NCLEJ on Twitter.
Defending BLM Activists’ Rights to Protest in Oklahoma
Plaintiffs Austin Mack and Sincere Terry and NCLEJ attorney Ranit Patel speak at a joint press conference.
Since Black Lives Matter uprisings began blooming in Spring 2020, protesters across the country have been targeted in the courts to curb their rights to assembly and free speech. On June 24, we joined Oklahoma advocates and organizers to file multiple challenges to Oklahoma laws and practices that discriminate against racial justice protestors, chill free speech, and criminalize the right to protest.
Fighting Discrimination along the North Brooklyn Pipeline Route
Brooklyn community activists hold an action to stop the construction of the North Brooklyn Pipeline.
Since August 2021, we have been representing several Brownsville and Bushwick community groups who are Title VI complainants in a groundbreaking federal civil rights case. The case alleges that the location and operation of the North Brooklyn pipeline and related projects discriminate against communities of color that live along its nearly seven-mile route.
The latest action came in early May when Brooklyn community groups and lawyers on their behalf coordinated several demands to stop the flow of gas through National Grid’s North Brooklyn Pipeline and undertake an immediate environmental review. And this month, NCLEJ joined advocates on a multi-site visit from Brownsville to Williamsburg where community members informed the EPA about the environmental and economic impacts of the pipeline.
Case Moves Forward to Ensure SNAP Benefits in Missouri
We filed a lawsuit in February 2022 seeking to ensure access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for Missourians. For years, families in Missourians—especially people with disabilities— have been wrongfully rejected when applying for SNAP benefits because of difficulties navigating the state’s Department of Social Services’ application process. On July 11, a judge denied a motion to dismiss filed by the defendant. The case will now move forward. Read the details about this case.
In the News: Buffalo’s Discriminatory Policing
News 4 Investigates has been reporting on the unchecked problem of discrimination by the Buffalo Police Department against Black residents and problems with data collection on racial profiling in traffic stops. NCLEJ has long worked with racial justice activists in Buffalo around these issues through our case suing the City of Buffalo in federal court on behalf of at least nine Black residents who accused city police of targeting their neighborhoods with traffic enforcement checkpoints, among other things.
Watch a video to hear from Buffalo community organizers we work with Phylicia Brown, Director of Black Love Resists in the Rust, and Jalonda Hill, Coordinator at the Fair Fines and Fees Coalition. And a recent op-ed by Chinyere Ezie explains the dynamics of racist policing in Buffalo New York’s East side.
Celebrating Driven by Justice
Last year, New York ended the practice of suspending driver's licenses when someone can't afford fines & fees for a minor traffic violation. This reform was thanks to the hard work of the Driven by Justice coalition which NCLEJ is proud to co-lead. Implementing these reforms has been the most recent stage of making sure low-income drivers can access driver’s licenses, a critical tool for economic mobility. Check out this quick facts guide to what these reforms may mean for you.
Join us on September 21st for the NCLEJ Justice Makers Award ceremony in-person at The Lighthouse, Chelsea Pier. We hope to see you there to celebrate our 2022 Justice Makers!
Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Executive Director Dennis Parker, Janai S. Nelson, and Jon Dubin at the Spring Gathering.
We celebrated #JoyfulJustice on June 8 with supporters and friends at our 2022 Spring Gathering. With special guests Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Janai S. Nelson, and Jon Dubin, we raised critical funds to fuel our racial justice work. This will keep a range of our racial justice work going, including the advocacy we do in community with Buffalo communities and activists fighting the over policing of Black residents.
NCLEJ Executive Director Dennis Parker gives a speech.
This May, NCLEJ Executive Director Dennis Parker was invited to University of Virginia School of Law’s colloquium on “Poverty Law, Racial Justice, and Movement Building”. Part of a group of innovative practitioners and legal scholars, attendees talked about how anti-poverty legal advocates supporting activists, transforming institutions, and advancing racial justice. The convening focused on the role of poverty law and civil rights practitioners in movement building. Dennis offered insights in a gathering of poverty lawyers and racial justice advocates eager for practical lessons on how to empower the communities they serve.
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.
