TUESDAY: Rev. Barber, social justice leaders discuss voting rights, free speech challenges

For Immediate Release: Monday, Febr. 14, 2022

For Planning Purposes: 2  p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

Media Contacts: Repairers of the Breach - Martha Waggoner; mwaggoner@breachrepairers.org 

             NC Poor People’s Campaign - Ana Blackburn; blackburnana@yahoo.com 

** Media Advisory: Tuesday February 15, 2022, 2PM **       

Rev. Dr. Barber II, North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign to hold News Conference on the Fight for the Right to the Ballot and Freedom of Expression and Road Ahead to Victory

REV. DR. WILLIAM J. BARBER II, REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN AND OTHER SOCIAL JUSTICE GROUPS WILL ADDRESS THE LONG FIGHT TO ENSURE THE RIGHT TO FREE EXPRESSION AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA AND THROUGH THE COURTS. 

RALEIGH, N.C. – Social justice leaders will gather at the North Carolina General Assembly on Tuesday to address the issues of voting rights and freedom of expression, following several major voting rights cases moving forward in the state’s courts, all in response to lawmakers repeated attempts to use racially discriminatory policies to target Black, brown, poor and low-wealth voters. 

Leaders are also calling for the right of North Carolinians to advocate for change to be protected, as Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II appeals to the NC Supreme Court to take up his case on First Amendment protections stemming from a May 2017 moral action at the General Assembly. 

On Tuesday, Rev. Dr. Barber and social justice leaders will also detail the road ahead in the mass mobilization for the rights of over 140 million poor and low-wealth people in the United States, announcing a historic gathering on April 2nd in North Carolina, where 44% of people – or 4.6 million – live in poverty or low-wealth. 

The April 2nd gathering is part of a Mobilization Tour covering at least 10 states and leading to the Mass Poor People’s & Low-Wage Workers’ Assembly and Moral March on Washington and to the Polls on June 18, 2022. 

Rev. Dr. Barber explained: “This week, as the NC General Assembly once again meets to redraw North Carolina’s voting districts, we join together as we continue our long fight to ensure the people’s voice in our democracy is not denied: in the ballot box, in the halls of the people’s house at the General Assembly, in our history books, and in our Constitution. We will not let our voices be silenced, diluted, distorted, erased or co-opted by politicians or corporations seeking to divide us out of a democracy that is our birthright.” 

Ana Blackburn, tri-chair of the NC PPC said: “We cannot allow racially motivated power grabs to become law, and we must protect access to the ballot and the right to freedom of speech. Repairers of the Breach, the North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign, our movement partners, and community members stand united against continued attacks on voting rights, legislators who attempt to subvert the will of the people, and attempts to silence those who speak out about such injustices. The time is now to take bold action for the future of our democracy.” 

Who: Speakers will include:

• Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II- president, Repairers of the Breach

• Ana Blackburn - tri-chair, North Carolina Poor People’s Campaign

• Other social, faith and legal leaders 

When: 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022

Where: Outside the North Carolina General Assembly, 16 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601

  The news conference also will be live streamed here.

Additional information: 

Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II appealed to the NC Supreme Court to take up his case on January 25th. The case arises from charges brought against him for engaging in First Amendment-protected public speech advocating for the rights of people living in poverty at the North Carolina General Assembly during regular business hours in May 2017. The case is now pending before the Supreme Court, which can take it up for discretionary review or decide not to consider. It presents critically important First Amendment and constitutional protection issues for the state of North Carolina and is a part of the ongoing movement’s efforts to ensure that the voices of the people seeking to bring light to our fights are not stifled in the House of the people in the state of NC and nationally. You can read the brief in that case here