75 Years Later – Special Court Session

The community is invited to a Special Court Session of the Orange County Superior Court on Friday, June 17, 2022, for a Motion of Appropriate Relief for the four men arrested in Chapel Hill in 1947 and sentenced in the Orange County Courthouse for violating Jim Crow laws. The four civil rights activists were: Bayard Rustin, Igal Roodenko, Andrew Johnson and Joseph Felmet.

On April 9, 1947, 16 men, black and white, began the Journey of Reconciliation to challenge Jim Crow segregation on buses despite a 1946 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Morgan v. Virginia declaring segregation on interstate travel unconstitutional. After an overnight in Chapel Hill, the buses prepared to leave, yet an angry mob of cab drivers gathered outside the bus. Johnson, Felmet, Roodenko and Rustin were arrested for Disorderly Conduct when they refused to move from the front of the bus.

Now, 75 years later, we are looking forward to a Motion for Appropriate Relief which will posthumously vacate the 1947 convictions of four of the original Freedom Riders in the Civil Rights movement.

Court will begin at 2 p.m. at the Historic Courthouse at 106 East King Street in Hillsborough, with Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour presiding. For those unable to attend in person, we are providing the opportunity to view this historic event as it happens via Zoom webinar.

Please click the link below to join the webinar, or listen by phone:

https://orangecountync.zoom.us/j/86573367336?pwd=bnFFN1ljR0d6am9wWTRKa0lOL21XUT09
Passcode: 290126
Or One tap mobile
US: +13017158592,,86573367336# or +13126266799,,86573367336#
Or Telephone:
Dial(for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location):
US: +1 301 715 8592 or +1 312 626 6799 or +1 646 876 9923 or +1 253 215 8782 or +1 346 248 7799 or +1 408 638 0968 or +1 669 900 6833
Webinar ID: 865 7336 7336
International numbers available: https://orangecountync.zoom.us/u/kbDdiUYpOX

Ending the Fiscal Year

On Tuesday, June 21, the Board of County Commissioners will convene for our final business meeting of fiscal year 2021-22. We will adopt the operating budget and capital investment plan for the next fiscal year, which will begin on July 1. The budget includes an increase in our per pupil spending to $4,808 per student, funding for the expansion of Durham Tech on the Orange County campus, the return of Sunday hours at the main library, and more.
Our business meetings and work sessions will resume in September. Meanwhile, please reach out to me, my colleagues and staff should you have questions or concerns. We are here to serve.

Juneteenth

Juneteenth or Freedom Day is June 19, and it is a county paid holiday as well as a federal holiday in the United States. It commemorates the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. Because June 19^th falls on Sunday this year, county and town offices will be closed on Monday. Activities to celebrate our liberation will be taking place throughout the region. Rejoice!

www.orangecountync.gov