Race and Social Justice Research: Lowcountry Resources

The ACLU is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, legal and advocacy organization devoted to protecting the basic civil liberties of everyone in America. ACLU of SC focuses on issues such as Criminal Justice and Incarceration, Discrimination, Free Speech, Immigrants' Rights, LGBTQ Rights, Police Practices, Privacy and Technology, Religion and Belief, Students and Youth, Voting Rights, Women's Rights and Reproductive Freedom.

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit works to bring transportation in the South Carolina Lowcountry into a future which offers efficient mobility and makes the auto optional for everyone.

Black Liberation Fund is dedicated to bailing out Black People, Womxn, LGBTQ+ individuals in the service of Black Liberation. Black Liberation Fund provides bail and incarceration support for concerned citizens in Charleston and surrounding areas. Black Liberation Fund serves as caregivers to those seeking liberation after an arrest. Since June we have supported protesters in Charleston and surrounding areas providing bail support, connecting to legal support, and other resources that are obstacles to pre and post-incarceration. We also support our local community members with bail resources on a case by case basis. Black Liberation Fund is an abolitionist organization that stands for wealth justice and the abolishment of cash bail which is wealth-based discrimination used as a vehicle for the criminal justice system that targets low-income populations. Black people, People of color, and immigrants in the Low Country face higher rates of arrest, harsher sentencing, bail and incarceration inequalities.

The Charleston Area Justice Ministry—CAJM—is a growing network of Faith Based Congregations who are culturally, economically, geographically and religiously diverse. We come together to make the Charleston area a more just place to live. Member Congregations work together to empower marginalized people in our communities. We accomplish this by conducting research, education and then publicly addressing the root causes of, and solutions to, poverty and injustice in our communities. CAJM is unique in its approach in that it transforms the systems that cause suffering by holding local officials accountable for resolving these inequities and injustices.

The Charleston Climate Coalition aims to make Charleston the climate action leader of the Southeast by revamping buildings, transportation, food and energy systems over the next ten years to sequester heat-trapping gases, not keep producing them. They support politicians who lead on climate, center environmental justice, amplify voices of the most under-resourced communities, and ensure Charleston is building towards a just and equitable future.

CharlestonGOOD is a grassroots and nonprofit resource network working to help increase the efficacy and impact of mission-driven people, projects, and possibilities in the Charleston community. CharlestonGOOD focuses on the efforts of nonprofit, grassroots, educational and social enterprises, to fill an important and community-building niche and also serves as a model for the power of resource sharing and collaborative problem-solving.

The Charleston People's Budget Coalition is a united front advocating for an equitable city budget, the elimination of poverty and racial disparities, and a redistribution of power to create true accountability with city officials in Charleston, South Carolina.

A ragtag leftist collective combating hunger and food waste in North Charleston, South Carolina. Serving food Sundays 2-3pm at Advent Lutheran Church

Fresh Future Farm is a Black-led nonprofit farm in North Charleston, South Carolina, fighting food injustice, growing and selling natural produce and groceries and teaching communities to do the same

Friends of Gadsden Creek is a grassroots, community-led campaign opposing the destruction of Gadsden Creek, and the continued patterns of injustice inflicted upon the Gadsden Green community. We are a coalition of concerned citizens, businesses, and organizations who oppose the WestEdge development plan to fill Gadsden Creek. We demand the revitalization of Gadsden Creek and her surrounding wetlands, as a first step in a larger plan that repairs the social, environmental, and economic harm that has been inflicted upon the Gadsden Green community.

Lowcountry Action Committee is a Black led grassroots organization dedicated to Black liberation through service, political education, and collective action in the Lowcountry.

The mission of One80 Place is to end and prevent homelessness.

The Quality Education Project (QEP) seeks to empower communities to advocate for change that improves the quality of education for all students. QEP also provides academic and community-engaged research to support and initiate educational policy reform committed to equity, access and excellence.

We Are Family Charleston is as a Southern Grassroots non-profit organization whose mission is to provide affirming spaces for LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, etc.) and ally youth up to the age of 24 through direct support, leadership development, and community engagement. We Are Family Charleston’s vision is that LGBTQI+ and ally youth feel empowered to find their places in the world, in their families, and in their communities. We Are Family Charleston are change agents lifting voices and shifting culture by upholding affirmation, intersectionality and community-building.

This document was compiled by the Lowcountry Action Committee to assist community members across the Tri-County (Charleston, Dorchester and Berkeley County) area with actively engaging the political process. It contains information on voting and how to identify and engage with your elected officials like town, city and county council members as well as information on how to watch and participate in town, city and county council meetings. You can also find out where to find your town, city or county budget and information on your rights when engaging with police, protester rights, immigrant rights and more.

This disparities report serves as a component of the Race and Social Justice Initiative. The data gathered here illuminate the social and economic conditions disproportionately impacting the county’s black population, particularly in the wake of rapid gentrification that is pricing out longtime black residents in the Downtown Peninsula. These statistics are part of a history of racial inequity in South Carolina that particularly informs the experiences of black residents in Charleston County. As such, they offer context and meaning for two high-profile crimes committed against black people in North Charleston and the City of Charleston in 2015, and the subsequent growing work around racial equity and social justice in the country.

The Racial Bias Audit of the Charleston Police Department (CPD) stemmed from growing interest among city officials and the community to address concerns about racial bias in the CPD’s procedures and practices.

The Racial Bias Audit Recommendations Spreadsheet lists 48 findings of the Charleston Police Department audit and recommendations for addressing them

The objectives of this study were to assess the current tourism resources and products that could attract visitors interested in African American tourism experiences; to measure the demand for African American tourism in South Carolina by surveying current, past, and potential visitors to identify their awareness, interest, and constraints to visiting the state; to quantify the economic impact of African American travelers on the state of South Carolina; and to use this research to identify essential best practices and next steps in growing African American tourism in the state.

This document lists key findings, observations and opportunities based on the data uncovered in the African American tourism report.

Today, the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing costs, and eviction is transforming their lives. Yet little is known about the prevalence, causes, and consequences of housing insecurity. The Eviction Lab is a team of researchers, students, and website architects who believe that a stable, affordable home is central to human flourishing and economic mobility. Accordingly, understanding the sudden, traumatic loss of home through eviction is foundational to understanding poverty in America. Drawing on tens of millions of records, the Eviction Lab at Princeton University has published the first ever dataset of evictions in America, going back to 2000. We hope you’ll join us in using the tools of this website to discover new facts about how eviction is shaping your community, raising awareness and working toward new solutions.