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11/17/2023.  Fifty Durham CAN members attended the joint meeting of the Durham Public Schools Board and Durham County Commissioners to agitate for Universal Free Lunch for Durham Public School children.  Latasha Williams, Yessica Torres Rico and Elder James Blake spoke during the public comment section.  School Board members have been in touch to discuss further the possibility of implementation of Universal Free Lunch for the 2024-25 school year.  Please make plans to join our next Poverty Team meeting on Thursday, November 30 from 6:30-8pm at Duke Memorial UMC. We will take some time to debrief the action, research the concerns expressed about reallocation of Title I funding, and plan next steps for our issue campaign, including meetings with key power players. Photos here.

11/16/2023.  Sixty Four Durham CAN members attended the November Metro Council meeting to receive training in the art of relational meetings.  Photos here.

11/14/2023.  Read the new Blog post by Bishop Clarence Laney.

10/17/2023.   On Sunday, October 15, Durham CAN and sister organization, the Congress of Latino Organizations, hosted over 460 member organization delegates to hear from all eight candidates for Durham Mayor and City Council. Delegates heard stories from people directly impacted by gun violence, delayed police response times and the lack of affordable housing in our community, such that many of our public employees cannot afford to live in the city they serve.  

CAN and the Latino Congress procured commitments from all of the candidates to support each of the specific initiatives proposed by the CAN Gun Violence Action Team and Affordable Housing Action Team. Every candidate responded "Yes" to each of the following questions:

1.   If elected, will you agree to meet with CAN leaders, within 90 days after taking office, for a two-hour retreat o discuss the issues in our agenda?
2.  CAN is working to ensure appropriate planning is done so that the best developers are selected around the 505 West Chapel Hill Street project (the old Durham Police Headquarters building).  We are interested in ensuring that community requests are considered around a grocery store, 25% to 30% of units for residents with 60% or less of area medium income and affordable space for service organizations.  If elected, will you agree to support developers tha will meet this specific community request?
3.  Durham CAN is committed to increasing viable options for affordable housing.  One option is around faith-based institutions building affordable housing on their land.  Currently the Unified Development Ordinance does not allow for other options for building outside of a parsonage.  If elected, will you agree to support a change in the language of the Unified Development Ordinance around building affordable homes on land owned by faith-based institutions?
4.  Durham CAN has been working diligently to help find ways to reduce gun violence in our community.  We have identified a need for a dedicated Office of Survivor Care.  Data has shown that when victims of gun violence and their families receive varied support, that the likelihood of repeat offenses drops drastically.  If elected, will you agree to support the creation of an Office of Survivor Care to be housed under the current Durham Community Safety Department?

Durham CAN also asked for accountability from its own members, with 110 members committed to receive additional training in universal principles of organizing for change.  In his closing remarks, Bishop Herbert Davis asked city council candidates, if elected, to help CAN leaders get a meeting with the police chief, whose department has yet to fulfill commitments made to Durham CAN and the Congress of Latino Organizations at earlier meetings.  The chief and her representatives declined to attend the October 15 Assembly.