About Us

Beloved Community Center (BCC) organized THE LONG MARCH FOR UNITY & JUSTICE, a statewide movement powered by WE THE PEOPLE. From September 20-29 of 2024, we traversed North Carolina, from Cullowhee to Wilmington, with an aim to amplify the voices of all North Carolinians through community organizing, voting initiatives, grassroots education, and art. Co-Executive Directors Joyce Hobson Johnson and Rev. Nelson Johnson emphasized our nation’s crossroads: continue toward authoritarianism or expand democracy with greater freedom and wealth distribution.

 

This initiative was and is supported by a coalition of dedicated organizing partners, including the NC Black Alliance, NC Council of Churches, Black Workers for Justice, Blueprint NC, Forward Justice, Down Home NC, Freedom Center, Red, Wine & Blue, Poor People’s Campaign, Second Chance Alliance, Union of Southern Service Workers, People’s Power Coalition, Justice Served NC, Southern Vision Alliance, and NC BLOC. —this movement fosters unity and collaboration through the We The People Unity Covenant. Our collective effort seeks to address dysfunctional systems, inspire electoral engagement, and empower communities.

 

BCC previously led the nation’s first Truth and Reconciliation Process to disclose the truth related to the November 3, 1979, Greensboro Massacre. The Truth Commission concluded that police absence was a major factor in the tragedy, leading to an apology from the Greensboro City Council in 2020. THE LONG MARCH FOR UNITY & JUSTICE continued this reconciliation process on a state level with an aim to affirm truth, heal divisions, address community issues, build grassroots leadership, and transform oppressive policies and systems.

 

Our mission spans environmental justice, women’s rights, reproductive justice, youth and students’ rights, racial and social justice, faith and religious inclusivity, gender and LGBTQ equality, worker and labor rights, immigrant justice, and disability justice. Join us as we strive for a future where unity and justice are tangible realities for all, creating lasting change for North Carolina and beyond.