TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM the Triangle from a Developing Country to the Ivy

WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle From a developing country to the Ivy League WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RIBUNE STUDENT: Plaxides Njeri TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE SCHOOL: Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School COLLEGE: Cornell University VOLUME 20 NO. 3 WEEK OF JUNE 10, 2018 $1.00 Imagine a teenager who not only had never seen a pizza, she didn’t even know what a pizza was! That was the reality for Southeast Raleigh High’s Plaxides Njeri when her family received green cards in 2013 and moved here from their village in Long Ball opened its Kenya. 10th season with a At 13 years old, Plaxides helped her single mother with cooking, house- hold responsibilities and taking care of her two younger siblings so her special ceremony for mother could work multiple jobs to financially support the family. At the time, her mother also started taking classes to become a medication tech- sponsors and nician at an assisted living facility. supporters. In their Kenyan village, Plaxides’s family spoke Swahili and Kikuyu. Plaxides knew English, but she says she still had trouble communicating when she first moved to the United States. It took a while just to figure out what “y’all” means. Please seeFROM/2A Civil Judicial rights redistrict groups bill grinds ahead sue STAFFNC REPORTS RALEIGH – The North Car- Decry move to olina Division of Motor Vehi- cles has revoked the licenses create ‘rubber of hundreds of thousands of people simply because they stamp’ courts cannot afford to pay traffic By Melissa Boughton fines and court costs. The Southern Poverty Law THE POLICY WATCH Center (SPLC), the ACLU, the RALEIGH – Lawmakers are ACLU of North Carolina and still trying to sort out their the Southern Coalition for So- plans for judicial redistricting cial Justice are suing to end less than two weeks before the practice, which funnels candidate filing commences low-income people further for judicial office, and it’s not into poverty, in violation of at all clear where the finish their due process and equal line will be. protection rights under the FREDA FREEMAN Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, all but promised last week 14th Amendment to the U.S. Marchers protest against deaths at the Durham County Jail. Constitution. that a committee meeting at The North Carolinians im- which two bills were ap- pacted by this punitive proved would be the end of scheme are stripped of their judicial redistricting, but Sen. ability to support themselves Ralph Hise, R-Mitchell, said and their families as drivers’ Monday that there were still licenses are crucial to secur- Family of man who died imbalances across the state ing and maintaining employ- that could be dealt with. ment, driving children to The Senate Committee on school, and obtaining basic Elections, which Hise chairs, needs. in Durham County jail gave a favorable report Mon- The federal lawsuit chal- day to House Bill 717, which lenges the DMV’s automatic was changed from a statewide revocation of driver’s licenses judicial redistricting bill to a without providing sufficient more targeted measure that demands answers reduces the state’s judicial di- notice of alternatives to full payment under state law, and Dashawn Evans’s death is seventh since 2013 visions from eight to five, re- a hearing to ensure that peo- By Freda Freeman said. “They said his death was Evans’s family, friends, and districts some western undetermined. They said noth- supporters from Inside-Out- ple who cannot afford fines CORRESPONDENT counties, prohibits the State and costs will not lose their li- ing came up on the autopsy. side Alliance held a protest and Board of Elections and Ethics DURHAM – Dashawn Evans’s He was perfectly healthy, 23 press conference last week at cense. family wants answers. They Enforcement from labeling ju- “No one should have to live years old, and they don’t have the jail. His family is demand- dicial seats by incumbents’ want to know how a seemingly no cause of death. There’s got ing a copy of the original State with the burden of their li- healthy 23-year-old man names, and attempts to cense being revoked, and all to be a cause of death. You got Bureau of Investigation report, change the rotation and as- “drops dead” in jail. to die from something. I’m try- an independent investigation the expenses that come with On May 27, Evans became signment of Superior Court that, simply because they ing to get a cause.” beyond the SBI investigation, judges. the seventh person in five Evans had been in jail since and the release of information don’t have any money,” plain- years to be found dead in the “I think the two bills we’ve tiff Seti Johnson said. “I’d pre- October on a robbery charge. from Sheriff Mike Andrews done so far with Mecklenburg Durham County Detention According to a report from the stating the name of the deten- viously fallen behind on my Center. His family wants to districts, I felt like we really rent and sacrificed the needs Durham County Sheriff’s Of- tion officer in command the needed to address, and I feel know how and why he died. fice, Evans’s cause of death morning and all relevant infor- of my children just to keep “I haven’t heard anything like this is the clean-up lan- my license. I cannot afford to was listed as undetermined mation in his death. guage for some other parts of from anyone since my son was rather than natural causes or a do that again. This has to found dead,” Tammie Evans the state,” Hise said of HB stop.” suicide. Please see FAMILY/2A 717. “I think that’s covered The DMV’s unlawful license most of what we’re accom- revocation stems from a plishing this session. There North Carolina statute that re- are still [population] balance quires the automatic revoca- issues that exist all over the tion of licenses for state that have not yet been nonpayment of a traffic ticket addressed, and it will just be 40 days after a court judg- a question of whether or not ment. But the law does not re- Raleigh transition center steers there’s the will to move on it.” quire a hearing before He also said he didn’t know revocation to ensure that a of any constitutional amend- person punished under the ments regarding judicial re- statute is actually able to pay drugBy Mick addictsSchulte back on right path form that were likely to be and willfully failed to do so. CORRESPONDENT considered, but added: “I U.S. Supreme Court precedent wouldn’t rule out that possi- RALEIGH – Drew Long opens the makes it clear that inability to bility.” door to the detox room at Healing pay must be considered be- Lewis, in contrast, said he Transitions recovery facility. It is fore punishing a person for didn’t expect that there would dark and quiet, with a few men oc- nonpayment of a court fine. be any constitutional amend- cupying the stark white beds “I just want a fair chance to ments dealing with judicial re- arranged like cubicles in an office. take care of my family,” form, and particularly judicial Their discomfort is visible as they Smoot added. “I can’t afford selection. Senate lawmakers endure the first step toward rehabil- to pay the tickets right now, had been pushing for a “merit itation. but that shouldn’t prevent me selection” plan for the ap- With his bright smile and lively from having a driver’s li- pointment of judges while demeanor, it’s hard to believe that cense.” House members were pro- Long, 22, was one of those detox pa- More than 15 percent of moting statewide judicial re- tients only 13 months ago. He came North Carolina residents live districting. to the nonprofit recovery center in poverty. North Carolina’s The other two bills that have with an addiction to a lethal combi- practice of revoking licenses been gaining steam over the nation of drugs: heroine, painkillers, for nonpayment without en- past two weeks and that were and cocaine. MICK SCHULTE suring ability to pay dispro- expected to pass this week are “I had a $300 per day habit, which portionately harms people of Several of the men at Healing Transitions relax on the porch. Senate Bill 757, which redis- I didn’t have the money for, so I’d color due to longstanding tricts Superior and District steal to support it,” Long said. After racial and ethnic gaps in through treatment that offered Like Peacock, many at the facility Court districts in Wake, Meck- seeing his mother’s best friend poverty and wealth. tours to visitors. are victims of the opioid crisis. The lenburg, New Hanover and complete the program at Healing “North Carolina’s unjust “This event gives us a chance to state’s division of Public Health re- Pender counties; and HB Transitions, he decided to give it a traffic fine collection scheme show the community that we are ported the number of opioid over- 1037, which redistricts pros- try along with his parents, who are has created a two-tiered sys- people just like them. We want to dose deaths in North Carolina ecutorial, Superior and Dis- both fighting addictions of their tem of justice, where people show who we are trying to become increased by 640 percent since trict Court districts in Duplin, own. charged with the same traffic – contributing members of the com- 1999, and state leaders are looking Jones, Sampson, Onslow, Long told his story during an open offense are punished differ- munity,” said Alexander Peacock, to recovery centers for solutions to Hoke, Moore, Montgomery house at Healing Transitions on 29, who came to Healing Transi- Please seePLAINTIFFS/2A June 1.

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