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WINTER 2011 PUBLISHED 4 TIMES PER YEAR VOLUME 44, ISSUE 1 Announcing the 42nd Annual Frank Porter Graham Awards Ceremony, Honoring Mandy Carter, Jay Ferguson, and Loretta Mershon and Featuring Keynote Speech by Dr. Timothy Tyson. Reserve Seats NOW For This Uplifting, Inspirational Event! or 42 years, the ACLU- undergraduate students. Blood lence, NCLF has had the distin- Done Sign My Name was made and the F guished honor of recogniz- into a movie that was released pacifist ing local exemplary civil rights nationwide in February 2010. War leaders at our annual Frank Tyson’s previous book Radio Resist- Porter Graham Awards Cere- Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams ers mony. This year, we are thrilled and the Roots of Black Power League, that our keynote speaker will be (UNC Press, 1999) won the but her Dr. Timothy Tyson, author of the James Rawley Prize and was co- partici- much-acclaimed Blood Done winner of the Frederick Jackson pation Sign My Name and other award- Turner Prize, both from the in the Organization of American Histori- Martin ans. He also co-edited, with Luther David S. Cecelski, Democracy Mandy Carter King, Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Jr.- Riot of 1898 and Its Legacy (UNC inspired Poor People’s Cam- Press, 1998), which won the paign, organized by the Southern 1999 Outstanding Book Award Christian Leadership Conference from the Gustavus Myers Center in 1968, truly solidified her life- for the Study of Human Rights in time commitment to nonviolence. North America. Tyson is a North In 1993, Carter was one of six Dr. Timothy Tyson Carolina native and a graduate of co-founders of Southerners On Duke (M.A. ’91, Ph.D. ’94). New Ground (SONG), and she winning books. Dr. Tyson is a The Frank Porter Graham served as its Executive Director. Senior Research Scholar at the Award will be presented this year Founded and based in Durham, Center for Documentary Studies to Mandy Carter, one of the SONG’s purpose is to build and Visiting Professor of Ameri- country’s leading African- progressive movements across can Christianity and Southern American lesbian social justice the South by developing transfor- Culture at Duke University. Blood activists. For more than four mative models of organizing that Done Sign My Name, a finalist for decades, Carter has been orga- connect race, class, culture, the National Book Critics Circle nizing for social justice, racial gender, and sexual identity. Award and winner of the Christo- equality, and lesbian/gay/bisex- Specifically, SONG integrates pher Award and the North Caro- ual/transgender (LGBT) equality. work against homophobia into liniana Book Award, was the She credits her commitment to freedom struggles in the South. 2005 selection of the Carolina activism to the influences of the In 2003, she also helped Summer Reading Program at the Quaker-based American Friends found the National Black Justice University of North Carolina at Service Committee, the former Coalition, a national civil rights Chapel Hill, assigned to all new Institute for the Study of Nonvio- organization of concerned FPG Awards Ceremony sage of the Racial Justice Act and in African-American LGBT individu- developing litiga- als and allies dedicated to foster- tion strategy since ing equality by ending and this new law took homophobia. effect. For his Carter was nominated for the tireless efforts in Nobel Peace Prize as part of the these and so “1,000 Women for the Nobel many more en- Peace Prize 2005” in order to deavors and for recognize, make visible, and his unwavering celebrate the often invisible passion for jus- peace work of thousands of tice, we proudly Jay Ferguson Loretta Mershon women around the world. She present the Paul has served on a long list of and give wise counsel. Green Award to Jay Ferguson of Boards of prominent social justice Ferguson has worked on a the Durham law firm Thomas, and political organizations, is a number of death penalty cases Ferguson & Mullins. featured speaker at national civil over the years, perhaps most Finally, the Board of Directors rights events, and has received a notably winning relief for Guy of the ACLU-NC will honor one of number of honors from groups LeGrande in 2008. LeGrande is our most dedicated volunteers, such as the National Gay and a severely mentally ill man who Loretta Mershon, with the Lesbian Task Force, Boston Gay insisted on representing himself Norman Smith Award. Mershon & Lesbian Advocates & Defend- at trial. An African-American was nominated unanimously by ers, and the LGBT Center of man, LeGrande was sentenced the ACLU of Wake County Board Raleigh. to death by an all-white jury, of Directors for her many years of The Paul Green Award will be having been tried by a prosecu- service to the Wake County presented to Jay Ferguson for tor’s office that awarded noose ACLU chapter. Mershon has his extraordinary contributions to lapel pins to assistant district been an active member of the the death penalty defense attorneys who secured death ACLU since the 1970’s. community. Those of us who sentences. Ferguson took the She rejoined the Wake County advocate for abolishing the death case on appeal and argued ACLU Board in 2002 and served penalty know Ferguson to be a successfully that LeGrande was with distinction in several impor- gifted attorney with a passion for not competent to be executed. tant leadership roles over the justice and a generous heart. He This was the first time a North next eight years, including Board has an incisive mind and keen Carolina court found that a Secretary, Historian, Member and talent as a litigator coupled with a death-sentenced prisoner was Chair of the W.W. Finlator genuinely humble spirit. Attor- not competent to be executed by Awards Nominating Committee, neys representing capital defen- the State. member of the Executive Com- dants regularly seek his advice, Ferguson also played a mittee, and Acting Board Presi- and he is always willing to listen prominent role in securing pas- dent. Her enthusiasm and lead-

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ACLU of Wake County Please reserve seats for $100 2011 Annual Meeting per person. Payment enclosed. and Board Election Address (and celebration of its I/We cannot attend. Please accept my 42nd birthday!) Phone # tax-deductible donation to support the event E-mail and/or to sponsor seats for students and people with limited incomes who wish to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, I prefer to charge my reservations to: March 9, 2011, at the attend. I am enclosing payment in the amount VISA MASTERCARD of $ . N.C. Advocates for

Justice building, Card # I am interested in purchasing an ad in 1312 Annapolis Drive, Exp. Date the program. Payment is enclosed, and I will Raleigh, NC 27605 CVV Code (3-digit number)______submit the ad by e-mail no later than January Zip Code of Credit Card Billing Address: 26, 2011. Please join us, and ______invite a friend to become a new member as well! Please make your check payable to ACLU-NCLF or fill out credit card information above, and mail payment along with this RSVP card to: ACLU-NCLF, P.O. Box 28004, Raleigh, NC 27611-8004. Reservations $100 per person. Call 919-834-3466 for more info or to charge by phone.

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Full page (5” x 8”) — $100 Special thanks to our 1/2 page (5” x 4”) — $50 wonderful friends at 1/4 page (2.5” x 4”, or business card) — $35 Replacements, Ltd. for once Ads should be e-mailed to [email protected]. PDF, JPEG or Word formats preferred. again sponsoring the Frank Ads should be submitted no later than January 26, 2011. Please call Jennifer Rudinger, Executive Director, at Porter Graham Awards 919-834-3466 for more information. Ceremony! (All ads may be subject to editing.) Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Raleigh, NC Permit No. 2394

P.O. Box 28004 Raleigh, NC 27611

Save the Date and Reserve Seats Now!

42nd Annual Frank Porter Graham Awards Ceremony

Featuring Keynote Speaker

Dr. Timothy B. Tyson,

Author of Blood Done Sign My Name

Saturday, February 12, 2011 at 5:30 p.m.

The William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education 100 Friday Center Drive, Chapel Hill, NC

Reservations $100/person * Table Sponsorships $1,000 for a table for ten people

Proceeds benefit the ACLU-NC Legal Foundation * Call 919-834-3466 to reserve seats now!

(Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 7th.)