Human Rights

The Washington Post: The GOP’s anti-transgender bills are ignorance in action

By Alanna Joyner / April 13, 2021 / Comments Off on The Washington Post: The GOP’s anti-transgender bills are ignorance in action

Five years after the state’s notorious House Bill 2 or HB2, Republican legislators are back with a slew of discriminatory bills that targets the state’s transgender and gender-nonconforming communities. North Carolina’s Senate Bill 514, Senate Bill 515, and House Bill 358 mirrors the rising trend of transphobic legislation across the country, blatantly attacking gender-affirming healthcare,…

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The Progressive Pulse: NC Democrats push for common sense voting reforms

By Alanna Joyner / April 12, 2021 / Comments Off on The Progressive Pulse: NC Democrats push for common sense voting reforms

With more than 360 bills introduced in 47 states across the country, many of which mirror the worst of Georgia’s Senate Bill 202, our right to vote hangs in the balance. In North Carolina, the Republican-backed Senate Bills 326 and 377 are their own versions of Georgia’s Jim Crow-era voter suppression laws.  Through House Bill…

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N.C. Policy Watch: Despite a federal stay on evictions, landlords are ousting their tenants

By Alanna Joyner / April 7, 2021 / Comments Off on N.C. Policy Watch: Despite a federal stay on evictions, landlords are ousting their tenants

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, North Carolinians across the state continue to struggle with paying rent and getting rental assistance, all while staying afloat.  The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) federal eviction moratorium and the state’s residential eviction moratorium extensions through June 30th has given many North Carolinians much needed…

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WRAL: Five years later, Democratic lawmakers still fighting to erase HB2, promote LGBT rights

By Alanna Joyner / April 5, 2021 / Comments Off on WRAL: Five years later, Democratic lawmakers still fighting to erase HB2, promote LGBT rights

Last week, Democrats in the North Carolina General Assembly introduced four bills that would protect LGBTQ North Carolinians from discrimination, violence, and harassment. The ground-breaking package of LGBTQ-inclusive bills, called the Equality for All Act, establishes statewide nondiscrimination protections, bans on “conversion therapy” and the “gay/trans panic” defense, and a full repeal of HB142. From…

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Patsy Takemoto Mink: First Woman of Color in Congress

By Alanna Joyner / March 24, 2021 / Comments Off on Patsy Takemoto Mink: First Woman of Color in Congress

In honor of Women’s History Month, Progress NC Action is highlighting women who have fostered change, encouraged debate and have transformed our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, etc. Similar to the women highlighted in previous blog posts, Patsy Takemoto Mink was no stranger to firsts. Mink was the first woman of color…

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Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray: Civil Rights Activist, Poet and Lawyer

By Alanna Joyner / March 18, 2021 / Comments Off on Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray: Civil Rights Activist, Poet and Lawyer

Durham-based civil rights activist Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray, was the first Black person to earn a doctorate in law from Yale Law School, a founder of the National Organization for Women and the first Black woman to be ordained an Episcopal priest. As a Black, queer, southern woman, Murray fought for racial and gender equality,…

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Maya Angelou: Award-winning poet and author, civil rights activist

By Alanna Joyner / March 10, 2021 / Comments Off on Maya Angelou: Award-winning poet and author, civil rights activist

In honor of Women’s History Month, Progress NC Action is highlighting women who have fostered change, encouraged debate and have transformed our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, etc. A revered North Carolina poet laureate, world-famous author and civil rights champion who made an impact on American culture and society for more than…

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John Merrick: Prominent Business Leader from Durham

By Alanna Joyner / February 24, 2021 / Comments Off on John Merrick: Prominent Business Leader from Durham

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC Action is highlighting prominent Black leaders from North Carolina, who have shaped our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, etc. In the early 1900’s, Black-owned businesses in Durham, North Carolina can be traced back to the efforts of two African-American entrepreneurs:Charles Spaulding and…

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Ella Baker: The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

By Alanna Joyner / February 18, 2021 / Comments Off on Ella Baker: The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC Action is highlighting prominent Black leaders from North Carolina, who have shaped our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, etc. Ella Baker, known as the “Mother of the Civil Rights Movement”, inspired and guided several leaders, including W. E. B. Du Bois, Thurgood…

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How the Greensboro Four Sit-In Sparked a Movement

By Alanna Joyner / February 1, 2021 / Comments Off on How the Greensboro Four Sit-In Sparked a Movement

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC Action is highlighting prominent Black leaders from North Carolina, who have shaped our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, and more. On this day 61 years ago, four North Carolina A&T students held the first major sit-in of the Civil Rights Movement at…

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