In response to the results of the 2024 General Election, Executive Director of the ACLU of North Carolina Chantal Stevens has issued the following statement:
“As we all know by now, Donald Trump was elected President for a second time. While we don't endorse or oppose a candidate or party, we are clear-eyed that elections have real-life impacts on our civil liberties and civil rights. We recognize the monumental threat that a second Trump administration poses to our most fundamental rights and liberties and anticipate that this coming administration will be even more brazen in violating the U.S. Constitution.
"While these dangers are real, we also must acknowledge the many North Carolinians who worked tirelessly leading up to this election to protect access to the ballot box and to educate their friends and neighbors on the issues at stake. Their work enabled several pro-civil rights candidates to be elected locally and there is no longer a supermajority in our state legislature, which we hope will encourage bipartisan collaboration. Additionally, we celebrate with the seven states that voted to safeguard reproductive rights in this election.
"As we move forward, our hearts and our focus are with the people of North Carolina, and especially those communities who faced egregious attacks to their fundamental rights and liberties during the first Trump administration. We know this outcome portends an incredibly uncertain time for many, including for immigrants, Black people, LGBTQ+ communities, anyone who publicly voiced political dissent against his policies, and for those who rightfully fear further attacks on reproductive freedom, voting rights, and access to healthcare.
"But let’s be clear: we have been here before and we are ready for the challenges ahead. For the past 60 years, the ACLU of North Carolina has been well-positioned to fight for and safeguard civil rights and liberties for all, and we don’t intend to stop now. During Trump’s first presidency, we opposed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, challenged restrictive voting laws, advocated for better police accountability and transparency, and fought for abortion access. Today, we are better equipped than ever before with lessons learned from the past and we have the tools we need to prepare for the future.
"In the Trump Memos, the ACLU prepared a comprehensive blueprint for what’s ahead, including the threats we face from a Trump presidency and the legal, legislative, advocacy, and grassroots mobilization strategies we will use in response. With this guidance in mind, we have spent the last five months planning and developing proposals for how to push back against any regressive and anti-civil liberties policies to come. We undertook that planning process hoping that we would not have to use those plans but knowing that if we were confronted with this moment, we would be ready.
"Together, we can and will rise to meet this moment. We will continue to advocate for state and local policies that protect North Carolinians from government overreach and prevent the erosion of civil liberties. The causes we fight for together, with every ounce of conviction—to protect reproductive freedom; defend immigrants’ rights; seek criminal legal reform; fight for LGBTQ equality; protect voting rights; and center racial justice — are righteous. Our work echoes forward. This won’t be the final chapter in our efforts to build a more perfect union because only We the People have that power.”
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