Career Opportunity

Position: Environmental Health Fellow

The Environmental Health Fellow will help enhance internal and external capacity to track organizational environmental justice and access to healthcare work and community movement. The fellow will be responsible for assisting with the development of research support on key environmental health issues, such as PFAS, Energy Justice, CAFOs, Black maternal health, and social determinants of health.

The fellow will report to both the Environmental Justice Program Manager and Access to Healthcare Program Manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in the development of our health equity and environmental justice profile for tracking community members and organizations we’ve engaged with and trained.
• Attend important meetings to help assist with overall Access to Healthcare and Environmental Justice priorities.
• Produce issue-related content for social media, newsletter, and community education materials.
• Create and support unique educational opportunities for fellow students and campuses regarding environmental health
• Assist in the development of environmental health profile for tracking of community members reached and trained
• Conduct key policy research around current environmental health concerns for NC

Education & Qualifications:

• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google applications.
• Highly organized, reliable, able to work independently, and able to develop internal and external partnerships.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Willing to try new things and can find comfort in new tools and spaces.
• Strong interpersonal skills, experience meeting deadlines, and the ability to multitask.
• Likes to look further than surface level but can control their research to not go down a rabbit hole.
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends.

Expectations & Compensation:

• 20 hours a week commitment.
• MUST live and work in North Carolina.
• $1,500 monthly stipend

Career Opportunity

Position: Joint Legal Fellow

North Carolina Black Alliance (“NCBA”) is partnering with the National Conference of Black Lawyers (“NCBL”) to create a fellowship to bolster our community work.

NCBA, a 501(c)(3), works to enhance the well-being and advancement of Black communities through systemic policy change, economic empowerment, and youth and leadership development. As an intergovernmental organization uniting legislators, municipal officials, county commissioners, school board members and community activists, we collaborate with strategic partners to amplify collective impact and foster intentional, meaningful engagement with Black constituencies across North Carolina.

NCBL’s mission is to “serve as the legal arm of the movement for Black Liberation; protect human rights; achieve self-determination of Africa and African Communities in the Diaspora; and work in coalition to assist in ending the oppression of all peoples.”  True to our mission, the North Carolina Chapter of NCBL uses a mix of legal and community organizing/base-building strategies to support grassroots movements across the State.

This fellowship will build stronger ties between our organizations and provide a fulfilling experience for a legal advocate. The fellow will serve as NCBA’s Black Election Administration Legal Expert. The fellow will also have the opportunity to work on NCBL projects concerning gentrification, workers’ rights, reparations, combating ICE, equitable distribution of city budgets, and addressing various aspects of mass incarceration.  Under the supervision of an attorney, the fellow may be asked to do the following:

Program Task:

• Support the planning and implementation of the Black Legal Network Election Protection Project
• Support the Program Attorney in legal and policy research and develop one-pagers and research documents on behalf of NCBA
• Support the election protection hotline and voter intimidation hotline during election season
• Help to recruit attorneys and law students to our respective legal programs
• Attend coalition meetings, when appropriate and relevant
• Draft comment letters and support the program team with local resolutions and issue analysis
• Conduct legal research
• Draft legal memos
• Represent homeowners in property tax appeals
• File FOIA Requests
• Draft city council resolutions
• Attend community group meetings
• Participate in community group leadership strategy sessions
• Assist with community outreach and follow-up
• Assist with property tax waiver and know your rights workshops

Required Education & Licensure:

• Juris Doctorate Degree (J.D.)
• A demonstrated interest in voting rights, social justice, and working with community-based organizations

Position Details

• Must live in North Carolina
• Salary: $70,000
• Program Length: 12 months
• Closing Date: May 31, 2026

North Carolina Black Alliance is an Equal Opportunity employer. Personnel are chosen based on ability without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation, in accordance with federal and state law.

Environmental Justice Mini-Grant Cohort

The North Carolina Black Alliance will host the 18th Annual NC Black Summit on April 25 and 26 in Raleigh. Under the powerful theme “Igniting Progress, Demanding Equity,” this highly anticipated two-day event will serve as a vital platform for Black elected officials, public policy advocates, community stakeholders, strategic partners, and advocates from across North Carolina to strategize on the pressing issues that will shape the state’s future.

Headlining the Summit is Amanda Seales, a multi-talented comedian, creative visionary, and fierce social justice advocate. Seales, who will be the keynote speaker for the distinguished Senator Jeanne H. Lucas Luncheon, brings a wealth of experience and influence to the event. Her roles as a former co-host on the daytime talk show ‘The Real,’ her groundbreaking role as ‘Tiffany DuBois’ on HBO’s ‘Insecure,’ her acclaimed stand-up special ‘I Be Knowin’,’ and her influential ‘Small Doses’ podcast, all underscore her unique perspective and ability to inspire change.

“We are thrilled to welcome Amanda Seales as our luncheon keynote speaker,” said Marcus Bass, deputy director of the North Carolina Black Alliance. “Her unwavering dedication to social justice and ability to spark meaningful conversations make her a perfect fit to inspire progress and equity at this year’s Summit.”

Reggie Love, former special aide to President Barack Obama, will also headline the summit and be the keynote speaker during the opening plenary session.

New to the Summit this year is a doubleheader pre-conference session on politics and religion, followed by a session focused on state public administrators. Engaging breakout sessions are planned, covering a range of crucial topics, including:

• The Impact of an African American Political Agenda in North Carolina
• Funding Democracy
• Legislative Town Hall
• Artificial Intelligence Legislation
• Labor, Wages, and the Black Economy in North Carolina

The 18th Annual NC Black Summit promises to ignite progress and demand equity through thought-provoking discussions, strategic planning, and a shared commitment to creating positive change.

For more information and to secure your spot at this must-attend event, please visit NCBlackSummit.org.

Certified Lactation Counselor Program Application

Apply now until March 1st. Limited spots available!

Are you passionate about supporting Black mothers and babies? Join the NC Black Alliance Lactation Cohort! Our six-month program offers a Certified Lactation Counselor® (CLC) certification course and quarterly workshops aimed at building a breastfeeding, family-friendly community in Craven, Beaufort, and surrounding eastern North Carolina communities. 

The North Carolina Black Alliance is pleased to announce the 2023 NC Black Summit’s keynote speaker as Tennessee House Representative Justin J. Pearson. As a member of the Democratic minority in the Republican-led Tennessee General Assembly, Pearson and his colleague Representative Justin Jones made national headlines for being expelled after protesting on the House floor in support of gun control in the aftermath of the mass shooting that killed six people at a Nashville school. Their expulsion sparked a national call to action in their defense, resulting in their reinstatement.

“We are honored to welcome Representative Pearson as our keynote for this year’s NC Black Summit,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, NC Black Alliance Chair. “Our annual Summit is an excellent opportunity for great political minds in North Carolina to connect and work together for the future of all North Carolinians, and we are thrilled to welcome attendees back to Raleigh since the COVID pandemic,” said Foushee.

Representative Pearson will address over 300 Black elected officials and community leaders across North Carolina during the 17th annual convening of the NC Black Summit in Raleigh. The conference theme, “Moving Forward with Knowledge and Purpose,” takes place April 27-28 and will include a legislative panel with North Carolina General Assembly members, the Jeanne H. Lucas Leadership Luncheon with remarks from State Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, and state and local policy sessions.

To learn more about the NC Black Summit, visit www.ncblacksummit.org.

Advance North Carolina, 501(c)4, and the North Carolina Black Alliance, 501(c)3, are pleased to announce the hire of Katesha Phillips as the new senior associate director for both organizations. In this role, Katesha will work in alignment with leadership to organize and prioritize critical issues and provide administrative, financial, and operational support for the organizations.

“We are thrilled to have Katesha join Advance Carolina and NC Black Alliance. Her background in administration aligned well with our current organizational needs and will prove vital as we continue to focus on building political and economic power in Black communities,” said Marcus Bass, executive director for Advance Carolina.

Katesha holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from North Carolina State University and brings over 16 years of professional experience to the organizations, including board governance, volunteer and staff management, budget management, financial reporting, and administrative and operational management. Previously, she worked at a local association management company and served as the executive director for two non-profit associations.

“I am truly looking forward to serving in my new role with Advance Carolina and the North Carolina Black Alliance,” says Phillips. I am excited to take a deep dive into this vital work and play my part in advancing the organizations forward in their mission and goals.”

NC Black Alliance Partners with Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation for Non-Profit Internship Program