GOTV info session
The Transformative Justice Coalition and the North Carolina NAACP will cohost a Gen-Z and Millennial Votes Matter Training Session on Monday, August 3–Wednesday, August 5 (starting Monday at 5pm) for people ages 18 to 35 who are interested in helping to get the vote out. Fifty will serve as Voting Rights Ambassadors to encourage people of voting age in their communities to vote in the upcoming election on November 3. Participants will receive $50 per day for attending the multi-day sessions and completing all assignments. Click here for more info and to submit your application.
The Kids Voting Art Challenge
Kids Voting Durham is hosting the Kids Voting Art Challenge! Young people age 18 and under are invited to tell Durham why voting is so important. Create a work of art (make it square or 1080 x 1080), make a 1-minute video, or write a short poem or spoken-word piece. There are a lot of people who are eligible to vote but choose not to. How would you convince them to vote and why every vote counts?
Your work might be featured in Kids Voting Durham’s “Get out the vote” efforts throughout the community and in social media. And you might win a Kids Voting tee shirt! All submissions should be nonpartisan (you can’t tell anyone who to vote for). Send your entry to info@kidsvotingdurham.org by the Monday, August 10 deadline. Call 919-560-7321; click here or write to info@kidsvotingdurham.org if you have any questions or if you need more information. Solidarity for Immigrant Justice
Judea Reform will host a panel discussion, Why We Say ‘Never Again’: Solidarity for Immigrant Justice, on Tuesday, August 4, 8–9:30pm. The panelists (from Migrant Roots Media, Siembra NC, Never Again Action!, Carolina Jews for Justice, and UNC Religious Studies) will discuss the various types of migration in the Americas, the role of the Alamance County Detention Center in deportations of North Carolinians, how faith and sanctuary play a role in the lives of migrants, and future court appearances that they will be involved in. Click here for more info and to sign up for this free Zoom event.
Free Legal Aid NC webinars
Legal Aid NC will host HOME (Housing on Monday Evening) every Monday from 4 to 5pm. A Legal Aid NC housing attorney will talk about a range of current and important housing-related topics and will also answer questions (of a general nature). Click here for more info and to watch (and participate) live.
Legal Aid of North Carolina will host Free Forum Friday every Friday from 11am to noon. Get your questions (of a general nature) answered on a variety of topics. Click here for more info and to watch (and participate) live. Legal Aid NC will host a free Criminal Record Expungement Webinar on Tuesday, August 4, 2:30–5:30pm. Learn how to legally remove previous offenses from your record so you can improve your chances of finding a job and seizing new opportunities. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid NC will host a free Social Security Disability Clinic on Thursday, August 6, 2:30–4pm. Learn about the application process and how to prove that you’re entitled to benefits. Attend the clinic on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262 Legal Aid NC will host a free Child Custody Clinic on Tuesday, August 11, 2:30–4pm. Learn all about child visitation rules/agreements. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid NC will host a free Employee Rights Webinar on Thursday, August 13, 2:30–4pm. Learn all about employment “at will,” right to work, discrimination and retaliation in the workplace, and eligibility for unemployment benefits. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid NC will host a free Simple Divorce Webinar on Thursday, August 20, 2:30–4pm. These are the basics; property division, spousal support, and alimony issues are best done with the aid of an attorney. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid NC will host a free Tenant’s Rights Webinar on Thursday, August 27, 2:30–5:30pm. Learn about your rights and obligations as a residential tenant and how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting evictions (for example, the delay of pending court cases and the enforcement of evictions that have already been granted), how to contact Legal Aid for help, emergency rent assistance, and what to expect from the court process.. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid NC will cohost a free Eviction Prevention Workshop on Wednesday, September 9, 6–7pm, with Durham Technical Community College. Learn how your community can maintain stable housing during the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in the loss of many jobs. Watch the webinar on Legal Aid NC’s Facebook page. Free legal assistance is available at 866-219-5262. Legal Aid attorney Charly Gilfoil will lead the discussion and answer questions, and afterwards will meet one on one until 8:30pm with anyone who needs assistance. Click here to sign up to meet with Attorney Gilfoil. Visit the Facebook event page for more info. Durham City Council meetings
Here’s the list of the Durham City Council’s’ (Virtual) meetings for the month of July:
City Council (Virtual) Work Session and Meetings are listed below will be held on Thursday, July 23, 1–5pm. You can also watch via the City’s YouTube channel, Twitter account, Facebook page, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV (via the free Boxcast app), Spectrum channel 8, Google Fiber channel 8, Frontier channel 70, and AT&T U-verse channel 99 in Durham.
Durham County meetings
Click on the calendar to see all of the Durham County committee, commission, advisory-council, and other meetings for the month of August.
Voting via absentee ballot available now
If you’d like to ignore all of the political drama and already know who you’re going to vote for this November, it’s not too early to submit your absentee ballot. You can click here to request your absentee ballot.
Restorative Justice Circle of Hope and Healing
The Restorative Justice Circle of Hope and Healing will meet on Wednesday, August 19, 10–11:30am, at Calvary United Methodist Church (304 E Trinity Ave). Explore restorative justice (RJ) values and work with RJ facilitators as they face challenges guiding people through rough times in their lives. Another session will be held on Thursday, August 20, 7–8:30pm. Write to restorativejusticedurham@mail.com with any questions you might have.
Get legal help
The North Carolina Bar Association offers its NC Lawyer Referral Service, which will refer you to an attorney who will give you one half hour consultation. This half hour of advice can involve any legal subject of your choice. Call 800-662-7660; the cost won’t cost more than $50.
Legal Aid of North Carolina (201 W Main St, Suite 400) offers free legal advice and representation (civil cases) for low-income residents. Call 919-688-6396 for more info and to set up an appointment. Mobile Justice smartphone app
There’s a new smartphone app called Mobile Justice NC that you can use to monitor and record police actions. We have the right to film the police, but always have your safety in mind when doing so. If an officer says that you’re in the way and tells you to get back, that might not the time to stand your ground and to tell him or her that you’re acting within your rights. Learn how to use the zoom-in feature so you can step out of the way and continue filming.
If you’re an activist or member of the media, download this free app and get familiar with Mobile Justice NC’s four features now (as opposed to during the heat of a protest or police action):
Click here to watch a short but in-depth explainer on how the app works: (O clique aquí para más information sobre el app Justícia Móvil en español.) Durham Police Department Citizen’s Complaint Form
You can make a formal complaint online by filling out the blanks of this form and sending it in. Click here for instructions and to fill out the Durham Police Department Citizen’s Complaint Form.
Durham Police Department Commendation Form
You can also single out an officer who went out of his or her way to be helpful/come to your aid. Click here for instructions and to fill out the Durham Police Department Commendation Form.
ACLU interview
Mike Meno, communications director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s North Carolina office, was a recent guest on TV Skywriter. Learn more about the ACLU work at www.acluofnc.org.
NC Lawyer Referral Service
The North Carolina Bar Association can help you find an attorney to represent you. Lawyer Referral Service (LRS) attorneys can’t charge more than $50 for initial consultation meetings of up to 30 minutes. None are able to take clients on a pro bono (free) basis. Visit ncfindalawyer.org or call 800-662-7660 (or 919-677-8574 if you’re out of state).
NC SAVAN
Crime victims and survivors often feel like they’re sitting on pins and needles while waiting to hear about upcoming trials and to get news on the status of perpetrators. NC SAVAN (North Carolina Statewide Automated Victim Assistance and Notification) is set up to keep them informed. A 24-hour, toll-free telephone number, 877-627-2826, is available for learning about an offender’s status and about victim-assistance resources. You can also call that number to register for the automated victim notification service. Once you’re registered, you can choose whether to get updates via automated telephone messages or emails; you can also download an app for your smart phone. Notifications can be delivered in English or Spanish, or you can have them translated into one of more than 100 available languages.
Click here to register for NC SAVAN or to search for offender information. |
Durham Police Department info
Request to appear in front of the City Council (during a Work Session)Click here for a link to the online form. They’ll give you 3 minutes to speak and make your presentation. Submit the form by Monday, 5pm, 10 calendar days before the meeting you plan to attend. If you want to make sure your form was received, call the Agenda Coordinator’s Office at 919-560-4222.
|