In 2020, NCLEJ lost one of our most passionate advocates, John Dewitt Gregory. As an NCLEJ Board Member from 1985 until his death in 2020, John was one of our staunchest and most committed supporters. Described by colleagues as “an absolute force of nature,” he was a passionate, meticulous, and exceptional advisor for our organization, and we will forever be grateful for his contributions to the mission of NCLEJ.
In honor of John, I am deeply excited to announce the launch of the John Dewitt Gregory Racial Justice Fund. The goal of this Fund is not just to bring much-needed litigation and secure relief for communities suffering enormous injustice, but also to build political and economic power, and find ways outside of the courtroom to bring attention to the plight of low-income people and communities of color in this country.
As the Trump administration trains its eye on organizations who focus on racial justice, we are doubling down on our mission. Racial justice is at the core of everything we do at NCLEJ.
While poor people of all stripes have always gotten the short end of the stick in this country, low-income Black and brown people are disproportionately exploited through excessive fines and fees levied by local and state governments; they are stopped, arrested, and imprisoned at higher rates than others; and they suffer higher rates of mental and physical disabilities.
NCLEJ is rising to meet this challenge. From ensuring that poor families of color receive the life-saving public benefits to which they are entitled, to combating racist policing practices and environmental hazards that are devastating communities of color across the country; from dismantling unjust fines and fees that keep communities of color in perpetual cycles of debt, to fighting back against slave labor in the U.S. prison system, the John Dewitt Gregory Racial Justice Fund will help bend the moral arc of our universe just a little closer towards justice.
The National Center for Law and Economic Justice advances racial and economic justice through ground-breaking impact litigation, policy advocacy, and support for grassroots organizing. We have provided legal representation and support since 1965.
