Human Rights

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

By Alanna Joyner / March 18, 2021 /

In 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. 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…

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

By Alanna Joyner / March 10, 2021 /

In 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. 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 50…

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John Merrick: Prominent Business Leader from Durham

By Alanna Joyner / February 24, 2021 /

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC 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 John…

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Ella Baker: The Mother of the Civil Rights Movement

By Alanna Joyner / February 18, 2021 /

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC 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 Marshall,…

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Raleigh’s First Black Mayor: Clarence Everett Lightner

By Alanna Joyner / February 8, 2021 /

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC is highlighting prominent Black leaders from North Carolina, who have shaped our state through their contributions to arts, sciences, politics, and more. Clarence Everett Lightner was Raleigh, North Carolina’s first, and to date, only, Black mayor in its history. Lightner was also the first African…

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How the Greensboro Four Sit-In Sparked a Movement

By Alanna Joyner / February 1, 2021 /

In an effort to celebrate Black History Month, Progress NC 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 Greensboro’s…

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We know how to prevent up to 40 million people from being evicted. It’s up to Congress to do it

By Alanna Joyner / November 27, 2020 /

New Year’s Eve marks the end of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) national eviction moratorium. The expiration of the eviction moratorium would result in millions of Americans losing their homes as COVID-19 cases continue to surge. According to the Aspen Institute, nearly 40 million Americans could face eviction over the next several…

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N.C. Policy Watch: North Carolina dreamers heartened for their futures after Supreme Court ruling

By Alanna Joyner / June 22, 2020 /

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration cannot carry out its plan to shut down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which has allowed nearly 700,000 young people, known as Dreamers, who came to the United States as children, to live and work in the United States. In a 5-4…

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As communities fight for justice, Juneteenth sheds light on Black History and freedom

By Alanna Joyner / June 19, 2020 /

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. But 155 years after, the nation is still struggling with the issues of systemic racism and injustice. The celebration of June 19, coined “Juneteenth“, marks a day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that…

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Why the Protests in the U.S. are an Awakening for Non-Black People Around the World

By Alanna Joyner / June 9, 2020 /

For nearly two weeks, protests and demonstrations have been held across the United States and the world, calling for an end to racism and police brutality against Black Americans. The widespread movement is one of the largest mobilizations, spawning from the murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who was killed by police in…

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