March 2024

March 6 was Women’s Equal Pay Day, which is the date that symbolizes how far into the calendar year women must work to earn the same as men. The date is calculated using an average, but women of color fare even worse when it comes to the wage gap: Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is July 9, Latina Equal Pay Day is October 3, and Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is November 21. 

Still, there are reasons for optimism, as you’ll see below. Women in our state are organizing, unionizing, and drawing attention to the disparities they face in the workplace.

They cannot and should not do that work alone, however.

I hope you will honor and support the women in your spheres—personal and professional—who are making a difference. Thank you for joining us in this work to achieve fairness and equity for all the women in North Carolina.

With gratitude, 

Reggie Shuford

The NC Justice Center is proud to announce our podcast, Carolina Changemakers! Each episode of Carolina Changemakers will feature an interview with a North Carolinian working to make our state a more just and equitable place. Our guests are community leaders, advocates, and organizers working on housing, healthcare, criminal justice reform, education, workers’ rights, immigration, and more. Join us as we dive into these stories and get to know the people behind the issues. 

On the first episode of Carolina Changemakers, NC Justice Center Executive Director Reggie Shuford sits down to talk about his life and work—from being the first Black student to graduate from Cape Fear Academy and clerking for Justice Henry Frye after law school to his career at the ACLU and a memorable “driving while Black” case that deeply impacted him.  

We are thrilled to announce the final approval of a settlement agreement between Indian Creek Mobile Home Park owners in Garner, N.C., and a class of tenants/home purchasers, resolving a class action challenge to their "rent-to-own" scheme. The lawsuit, initiated by the North Carolina Justice Center and the National Consumer Law Center against Riverstone Communities, alleged deceptive installment purchase contracts evading consumer protections. The settlement includes a payment of $1,020,000 by Riverstone and significant non-monetary benefits such as new leases and necessary home repairs for the residents. 

NC Justice Center senior attorney Kate Woomer-Deters advocated for the settlement in court, emphasizing its fairness and adequacy. Additionally, NC Justice Center litigators Jason Pikler, Carlene McNulty, and Sarah Laws, contributed significantly to the lawsuit's success. This victory ensures that residents receive accurate information about their mobile homes and fair treatment in line with North Carolina consumer and landlord-tenant laws, promoting transparency and protection for all parties involved. 

In honor of Women's History Month, we are highlighting the State of Working Women 2023 report, which starkly illuminates the persistent disparities faced by women in North Carolina's workforce. Gender inequities persist, as evidenced by higher poverty rates and occupational segregation experienced by women across demographics. Personal testimonies from worker leaders and advocates shed light on power dynamics and caregiving burdens disproportionately shouldered by women, particularly women of color. The report's findings also reveal the unequal burden of unpaid caregiving, hindering women's advancement opportunities. Despite these challenges, there's a notable surge in women-led activism, with initiatives like organizing for workers' rights and unionization gaining momentum. 

Originally from Philadelphia, Melana is a second-year law student at Duke Law School. Her interest in labor justice and workers' rights emerged while witnessing her mother’s successful university faculty union strike. Melana’s interest developed into a passion when she led a campaign to win housing stipends for AmeriCorps members at her service site, Vermont Legal Aid. Upon completing her service, Melana continued building her organizing and advocacy skills while working on local, state, and national political and issue-based campaigns. 

As a law student, she continues to organize with Carolina Jews for Justice and the Duke Graduate Student Union, and she strives to develop lawyering skills that best position her to support the labor movement. She is thrilled to be externing at the NC Justice Center with the Workers' Rights team and has already learned so much since starting. 

Last month’s Day of Action for Education was a great success, with supporters of public education coming from all over our state to speak out against the rehearing of Leandro. Our coalition partners at Every Child NC put in the extra effort, long hours, and hard work to make the day an enormously empowering event. See some of the resources and media that came out of the event:  

Listen to Education & Law team Director Matt Ellinwood's NPR interview: The latest Leandro hearing at the North Carolina Supreme Court

View a recording of the Day of Action for Education Rights and the post-hearing debrief for press 

Read an op-ed from Senior Policy Analyst Kris Nordstrom: Putting the investments needed to uphold children’s education rights in context 

The NC Justice Center invites you to join us on Sunday, September 22 from 5 to 8 PM at the Washington Duke Inn for our annual Defenders of Justice Awards Gala! Every year we come together to celebrate the inspirational work of outstanding leaders in our community who are leading the fight for justice. These few exemplify our mission—they are working to eliminate poverty in North Carolina to ensure the creation of an economy that works for everyone. 

They are at the frontlines of advancing progressive and inclusive policies that advance equity and opportunity in our state. 

Stay tuned for the list of honorees and registration information forthcoming in the next few weeks!

The North Carolina Justice Center is hiring! If you're interested in joining our team and being a part of impactful change, please visit our website to learn more about our open positions and how to apply. 

The North Carolina Justice Center
224 S. Dawson Street  | Raleigh, North Carolina 27601
919-856-2570 | contact@ncjustice.org

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