Executive Council Statement
Justice for the Charleston 5
… it has faced its most profound challenge in the Old South. Over the last decade, leaders of the "New South" have tried to put a more mainstream face of fairness on the social and political institutions of the region. But an egregious miscarriage of justice in South Carolina threatens to turn back the clock on progress on workers' rights and racial justice in the South and across the nation. Five dockworkers … For nearly a year-and-a-half, they have been confined to house arrest from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., allowed only to go to work or attend union meetings. The impact of the house arrest has been devastating, not only for the dockworkers, but for …