By: Jordan Meadows, Staff Writer
On Monday evening, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the North Carolina State Capitol to demand that lawmakers halt the passage of Senate Bill 382, a controversial piece of legislation they condemned as a “legislative coup.”
The protest marked the return of the Moral Monday movement, a tradition that began over a decade ago under the leadership of Reverend William J. Barber. The protests first erupted in North Carolina in 2013 as a direct response to the policies of then-Governor Pat McCrory and the Republican-controlled state legislature. The movement grew from humble beginnings with just 17 people at its first rally to a mass mobilization of 80,000 demonstrators by 2014.
The Moral Monday movement was grounded in a religiously informed call for moral revival, through the Repairers of the Breach organization and supported by the Poor People’s Campaign. Its central tenet was the belief that policy decisions should reflect a moral commitment to social justice, equality, and the common good—especially for marginalized communities.
Moral Mondays gained national attention for its commitment to nonviolent direct action and its intersectional approach, addressing issues such as voting rights, economic inequality, racial justice, and healthcare. Although the movement lost some momentum after its peak, it remains a significant force in North Carolina politics, with Barber continuing to lead rallies and advocacy campaigns, including the recent protests against Senate Bill 382.
Senate Bill 382 has been widely described as a “power grab” by critics, particularly because of its sweeping provisions that would shift significant political control from Democratic to Republican offices in North Carolina. The bill, which was vetoed by Governor Cooper and overridden by the Senate, comes in the aftermath of the November elections, where several key state offices were won by Democrats.
Among its provisions, SB 382 moves the State Board of Elections under the authority of the State Auditor, a position that will soon be held by a Republican, removes two judges who have ruled unfavorably against the legislature, and limits the powers of the Democratic Attorney General, Lieutenant Governor, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction—offices currently held by Democrats—by stripping their authority over key appointments and decisions.
Proponents of the bill, primarily Republican lawmakers, claim it is necessary for ensuring government accountability and efficiency. However, its critics, including Barber and many other activists, argue that it is a blatant attempt to undermine the will of voters and concentrate power in the hands of the GOP.
The protest featured music and chants, beginning with an hour of stirring addresses led by Barber and other community leaders from across the state. The event included interludes of jazz and gospel music, and protesters sang civil rights movement anthems like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Woke Up This Morning.”
Barber, who has been at the forefront of these rallies since their inception, denounced Senate Bill 382 as an effort to “rob the poor of their rights.” He framed the bill as an existential threat to North Carolina’s democracy.
“While the people are suffering, a 132-page bill. Only 13 trying to help Western North Carolina– and that is not enough. And 120 to run a legislative coup,” Barber said. “While they’re trying to steal power from the people, the people are hurting. Stop the coup! Help the people! We don’t need a disastrous bill, we need a bill for the disaster!”
Barber’s fiery rhetoric resonated throughout the crowd, which was adorned with a sea of multicolored flashlights and signs of support waved overhead in solidarity.
Reverend Rob Stephens, a key organizer for the Poor People’s Campaign of North Carolina and its sister organization, Repairers of the Breach, addressed the crowd candidly without pulling any punches.
“We are here to shine a light on an ever-deepening chasm of abysmal morality that is the general assembly. They are lying to us and they don’t care,” Stephens said.
The protest highlighted not only the bill’s sweeping changes but also the hypocrisy of framing it as part of hurricane relief efforts. The bill includes an allocation of $227 million from the state’s rainy day fund to the recently created Helene fund but doesn’t specify what all of the money will be spent on. The vast majority of the bill’s provisions deal with power shifts, not disaster relief.
Vicki Meath, executive director of Just Economics in Asheville, condemned the bill’s meager disaster relief allocation, which she argued ignored the real needs of communities in the western part of the state.
“That bill does not deliver the needed aid to my community, but rather, it subverts our democracy as a power grab and ignores the will of the people,” said Meath. “That is a slap in the face to western North Carolina. We see what you are doing and we will not forget.”
Among the speakers at the rally was Jen Hampton, an organizer with Just Economics and Asheville Food and Beverage United. She shared a heartbreaking story about a single mother in her union facing eviction after Hurricane Helene destroyed her livelihood.
Hampton’s voice quivered with emotion as she described how this mother, struggling to provide for her seven-year-old daughter, would soon be forced to live in a car because of a lack of sufficient government aid.
In response to such stories of hardship, Barber pledged that Repairers of the Breach would commit $25,000 to help families like Hampton’s, stating emphatically, “She will not stay in that car!”
The protestors marched from the State Capitol Building to the Legislative Building while chanting slogans aimed against the controversial bill. The rally ended with a call to action: participants were urged to return the next morning to protest at the North Carolina House of Representatives ahead of a crucial vote on SB 382’s veto override.
As the Moral Monday movement marches forward, it continues to be a crucial force for progressive change in North Carolina and a model for other grassroots movements across the nation. For Barber and the thousands who have marched with him over the years, the fight is far from over. And with each new rally, they send a message to lawmakers and the public alike: “We will not forget.”
