The Cabarrus Justice Coalition partners with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) of NC to bring the Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice to Concord
CONCORD, N.C. – The ACLU of North Carolina will join community advocates for a day of action outside of the Cabarrus County Courthouse on Friday, March 25. The Cabarrus Justice Coalition has called for justice, transparency, and accountability of prosecutors and other court and law enforcement officials for years. Friday’s event will highlight the consistent calls to address consistent patterns of enforcing excessive bails, holding people without trial, forcing plea bargains, violating constitutional rights to due process and speedy trial, as well as mishandling or withholding evidence.
WHAT: Cabarrus County Vigil for Freedom & Racial Justice
WHEN: Friday, March 25, 2022, 11:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.
WHERE: Cabarrus County Courthouse, 77 Union St. S. Concord, NC (map)
WHO: The Cabarrus Justice Coalition, ACLU of NC, and several other organizations supporting the Vigil will have representatives at the event. A full list of partners is included in the section below.
Local community activists and members of the ACLU of NC staff can be available to speak to reporters during or after the event.
The Cabarrus County Vigil for Freedom & Racial Justice will include in-person and virtual discussions on topics including racism within the criminal legal system, the death penalty, and the criminalization of poverty and immigration.
The event is free and open to the public. Free food and resources will be offered, as well, including more information about the process for people to seek reinstatement of their driver’s licenses if they were revoked because of an inability to pay fines, fees, and other court costs. More information about the driver’s license reinstatement process is available at resolvetrafficdebtnc.org.
More Information About the Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice:
The Vigil for Freedom and Racial Justice is a broad coalition of community partners advocating for several criminal legal system reforms and the decarceration of state prisons and jails. Before hosting a month-long vigil outside of the Governor’s Mansion in Raleigh throughout December 2021, the coalition sent a letter to Governor Cooper, urging him to take decisive actions to decarcerate North Carolina. More information about the Vigil is available at decarceratenownc.com.
Community partner organizations supporting the Vigil include:
NC Bail Fund of Durham; ACLU of North Carolina; North Carolina Justice Center; NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty; Emancipate NC; Criminal Justice Sub-committee, Temple Emanuel Greensboro; Fayetteville Police Accountability Community Taskforce; National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls; Center for Death Penalty Litigation; B.R.I.D.G.E.; NC Statewide Police Accountability Network; Poor People’s Campaign; Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility at Duke Law School; NC Families United; Black Voters Matter; NC Community Outreach & Wellness Center, Inc.; Racial Justice Coalition of Asheville; North Carolina Council of Churches; School for Conversion; Beloved Community Center of Greensboro; Operation Gateway; North Carolina NAACP; NC Second Chance Alliance; Community Success Initiative; Carolina Jews for Justice; Advance Carolina; Southern Vision Alliance; Durham Beyond Policing