Change the South,
Change the Nation

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Change the South.
Change the Nation.

Join us in supporting movements that are transforming the country.

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Sign up to receive email updates about our movement work, campaigns, volunteer opportunities, events, and legal cases.

What We Do

Forward Justice is a nonpartisan law, policy, and strategy center dedicated to advancing racial, social, and economic justice in the U.S. South.

We challenge and change laws, policies, systems, and practices that harm the most vulnerable in our society and keep us from full liberation. We work with movement partners and community members to:

Protect and expand voting rights

End the carceral system and its abuses of Black, Brown and poor people

Reduce barriers to re-entry and increase resources for formerly incarcerated people and their families

Ensure equal access to basic human rights like healthcare, jobs with living wages, and clean water

Reimage public safety and the role of police in our communities

We are organizers, lawyers, creatives, strategists and directly impacted people dedicated to ensuring that the ‘we’ in We the People is truly inclusive and representative of ALL Americans.

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Here’s How We Do It

We serve as a strategic partner for nonprofit organizations, coalitions, and networks at the forefront of movements organizing for a more just, equitable, and free South.

Change laws, policies, and practices

We challenge unjust and discriminatory laws, policies, and practices in court, and advocate for those that uplift ALL people

 

 

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Build a base of people and organizations

We connect community members, activists and advocates; and help provide resources they need to mobilize and stand against laws, policies and practices in their communities that marginalize and oppress.

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Shift narrative, culture, and values

Through the intentional use of language and storytelling, we center the voices, stories and experiences of those directly impacted by systems of oppression to shape and influence narratives to build collective power and create lasting change.

 

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Recent Updates

2023 Forward Justice Gala

Join us as we journey through the history of our organization and the bold visioning for our future within the movement as we usher in the Third Reconstruction.

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Forward Justice 2022 Annual Report

We made strides toward the creation of a Third Reconstruction in this country by establishing and protecting, and preserving the right to vote, addressing poverty and low wages, and continuing to dismantle mass incarceration.

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Unlock Our Vote Freedom Summer

We’ve won the biggest expansion of voting rights since the Civil Rights Act, and restored voting rights to over 55,000 North Carolinians.

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PPC June 18th Moral March on Washington

We spent Juneteenth weekend in Washington, DC with our partners at the Poor people Campaign for the Mass Poor People’s and Low Wage-Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls.

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Forward Justice 2021 Annual Report

Protecting and expanding voting rights, ensuring pandemic protections for incarcerated people, and fighting for pardons after wrongful convictions were just some of our victories last year.

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Covid Decarceration Resources

We’ve reached a landmark settlement with the state of North Carolina that will result in the unprecedented early release of at least 3,500 people in custody inside state prisons. We invite you to use and share this page as a resource as we continue navigating the coming weeks and months together in our effort to quickly and safely reduce the population in state prisons to save lives.

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Uplifting Emerging Black Leaders of Today

As our nation stands in this pivotal moment, we want to introduce you to some of the emerging leaders of today who are leading in the movement and community to help ensure that we’re able to build strong Black Futures for generations to come.

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Building Black Futures

As we celebrate Black History Month and the wins and lessons from social movements of the past, we must also think about the Black Futures that are being built right now.

This week we’re uplifting our partners at Leading into New Communities (LINC) and Wash Away Unemployment.

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Voices From the Inside: The Impact of COVID-19 on Incarcerated People

The COVID-19 pandemic presents a clear and urgent crisis for those currently incarcerated or at risk of becoming incarcerated, as prisons and jails present the highest risk of illness from the virus.

 

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NC Copwatch Launch

Forward Justice launched nccopwatch.org, an interactive website that allows community members to access department & officer stop, search, and use of force data for every traffic stop reported in NC.

 

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FAQ for Voting with a Criminal Record in NC

In September, a three judge panel ruled that thousands of people on community supervision whose inability to pay fines and fees extended their probation and parole can now register to vote.

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Event: Voting is Power Unleashed! #MoralMonday Mass Assembly

Forward Justice is proud to partner with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and NAACP Legal Defense Fund for this evening of information and inspiration.

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