For the fifth week in a row, citizens involved with the Poor People’s Campaign were arrested at North Carolina’s legislative building last week. Participants gathered in the building to disrupt a Senate meeting while some sat in House Speaker Tim Moore’s office to protest. Others stayed out in the street, holding signs and calling for change.

And it is all expected to happen once again today.

It’s all part of the Poor People’s Campaign’s 40-day call for “moral action” from legislators. Based off the teachings and efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it’s a coordinated movement advocating for moral public policy and the rights of underprivileged people, according to supporters.

Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP president Anna Richards said King’s reasoning behind the original Poor People’s Campaign still exists today.

“What that [purpose] was really recognition of the economic freedoms that had not been gained at that time and where many people still lag behind today,” said Richards. “So the idea for this, at the 50th anniversary of the Poor People’s Campaign, was to reignite a movement around economic issues.”

This revival of the movement is being led by a prominent North Carolinian. Reverend Dr. William Barber is the co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, taking his peaceful protesting methods to a national level. Barber served as the president of North Carolina’s NAACP for 12 years and gained recognition for his ‘Moral Mondays’ of civil disobedience and protest. He was thrust into the national spotlight once again after he gave a speech at the Democratic National Convention in 2016.

The Poor People’s Campaign’s actions are built on those Moral Monday demonstrations. For weeks, participants nationwide have protested at legislative buildings on Mondays, asking for “moral” public policy agendas. Barber himself was in Washington D.C. last week and was reportedly arrested for praying outside the Supreme Court.

As Richards described, there is a different emphasis each protest.

“Each week there’s a different theme,” she said. “Monday’s theme was really on the issues of poverty and labor. These weekly emphases are culminating with the major Poor People’s Campaign March in Washington D.C. on Saturday, June 23.”

Before the march caps off the 40-day movement, the sixth Monday of protests will be held. Its theme is ‘Confronting the Distorted Moral Narrative.’ If last week is any indication, more arrests can be expected in North Carolina and across the country.

Related Stories
‹
Local NAACP Branch To Celebrate 75th Anniversary in October
The Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch of the NAACP will celebrate its 75th anniversary in October. The branch is planning several events during that month to commemorate its founding, and announced a tentative schedule on Tuesday. On October 8, the branch will host an Umoja (the Swahili word for “unity”) Read-In, which will “celebrate the culture, cuisine […]
Gov. Cooper Names Chapel Hill, Carrboro Community Members to State Advisory Roles
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper named several people to state advisory boards and commissions on Friday. Among there are a handful of Chapel Hill and Carrboro community members. Dr. Michael Kunz of Chapel Hill is one of those. Cooper appointed Kunz to the North Carolina Plant Conservation Board. His role will be to represent the […]
Orange County Governments Commemorate Pride Month, to Host Events
The towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough are all celebrating and commemorating Pride Month this June with several events and public displays of support.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP Turns to Motorcade to Celebrate HKonJ Rally
Facing challenges caused by the pandemic, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP used a motorcade to celebrate the annual HKonJ rally in the local area. The Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HKonJ) People’s Assembly Coalition is made up of the more than 125 NAACP branches, youth councils, and college chapters in North Carolina, as well as members of over […]
North Carolina Mayors: 'We Cannot Tolerate This Kind of Police Violence Rooted in Systemic Racism'
Over a dozen mayors in North Carolina have signed onto a letter condemning the actions of the Minneapolis police officers involved in the death of George Floyd and supporting the peaceful protests organized in the wake of Floyd’s death. Read the complete statement below: As mayors of cities in North Carolina, we have come together […]
Groups Protest Gun Violence, 'White Nationalist Terrorism' at Hillsborough Rally
Protesters gathered at the historic courthouse in Hillsborough on Saturday calling for action on gun safety legislation and linking recent shootings to growing acts of “white nationalist terrorism” across the country. A coalition of groups locally and from across the state gathered for Saturday’s press conference following multiple shootings in recent weeks where more than […]
3 CHCCS High Schools in North Carolina Top 25
All three traditional high schools in the Chapel Hill – Carrboro City School District are in the top 25 of the newly released US News & World Report rankings of North Carolina high schools. The rankings are done in coordination with RTI International and were based on scores across six indicators, including college readiness, college […]
CHCCS Cancels Classes on Scheduled North Carolina Teacher Rally
Chapel Hill – Carrboro City Schools will be closed for an optional teacher workday on May 1, as state education advocates have organized another Day of Action in Raleigh lobbying for education initiatives. Last year’s rally drew nearly 20,000 attendees, according to estimates at the time. CHCCS was one of the first districts to cancel […]
Deadline for Local NAACP's College Scholarships Fast Approaching
The last semester of senior year of high school is wrapping up, and many students might already know what their next steps will be after graduation. In other words, an epidemic of ‘senioritis’ might be sweeping the graduating class of 2019. But for many local students going off to college, the worry now is, ‘how […]
Chapel Hill, Carrboro Mayors Respond to Recent ICE Raids in North Carolina
Seven mayors from across North Carolina signed on to a letter condemning the recent actions by ICE across the state. Among those who signed were Chapel Hill Mayor Pam Hemminger and Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle. “I’m hoping we’ll get even more mayors to sign on to say, ‘we really do condemn these activities that ICE […]
›