Human Rights
Raleigh, Knightdale, and Morrisville join the growing list of North Carolina communities that have passed LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination ordinances. So far, 18 communities across the state have adopted local protections from discrimination in employment and public accommodation. The adoption of ordinances protects North Carolinians from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, natural hairstyle, and more.…
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Before Rosa Parks, Sarah Keys refused to back down. Before Rosa Parks made history by refusing to give up her bus seat, Sarah Keys did the same. On August 1, 1952, the young Army private traveling to Washington, North Carolina, refused to give up her seat on an interstate bus for a white Marine. From…
Read MoreBefore the Greensboro Four, there was Durham’s Royal Seven. 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. North Carolina’s place in the civil rights movement is largely connected with the…
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On Monday, Charlotte’s City Council unanimously voted in favor of a nondiscrimination ordinance that would establish protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, natural hairstyle and more. The expansion of protections marks Charlotte as the tenth North Carolina community to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance. This comes after 5 years since the state blocked…
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This month marks 60 years since 13 Freedom Riders–including a young John Lewis– set out on two buses from Washington, DC to challenge the segregation of public transportation. In the weeks that followed, the Freedom Riders were threatened, arrested, and attacked by violent mobs throughout the Deep South. They attracted the attention of the nation…
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Andrew Brown Jr., the 42-year-old Black man who was fatally shot by sheriff’s deputies, was laid to rest on Monday in Elizabeth City. In the wake of Brown Jr.’s funeral, the Family and community members are continuing their demands for justice and transparency. Last Wednesday, a state judge ruled that Brown Jr.’s family were allowed…
Read MoreIn the wake of the conviction of Derek Chauvin, North Carolinians have taken to the streets of Elizabeth City after Pasquotank County deputies shot and killed Andrew Brown Jr., an unarmed Black man in his car, while serving a warrant Wednesday. While the guilty verdict from the Chauvin trial felt like a victory for some,…
Read MoreIn 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…
Read MoreLast 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 more. From WRAL: “These four bills…
Read MoreIn honor of Women’s History Month, Progress NC 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 to…
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