Join us for our Annual Nehemiah Action
Join us 7 p.m. April 15 at Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church (7396 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston) for our biggest gathering of the year - the Nehemiah Action. Here, we will seek commitments from public officials to implement solutions to community problems!
Charleston Area Justice Ministry: Winner of the Harvey Gantt Triumph Award
for Lasting Contributions to Civil and Human Rights
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Charleston Area Justice Ministry: Winner of the Lowcountry Diversity Leadership Award: Big Heart
presented by the Charleston Regional Business Journal
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Poor Reading Levels

Poor Reading Levels

In fall 2012, our listening process revealed widespread concern for reading levels and the lack of availability of education for at-risk 4 year olds in our families, congregations and community.

Young Adult Unemployment

Twenty-five percent of young adults in Charleston County ages 16-24 are unemployed and looking for work. African American young adults in that same age group experience an unemployment rate of 39%.

School-Based Arrests

Our research showed that children in Charleston County were being arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than other counties in South Carolina and that over half of them were being arrested for minor offenses from the classroom.

Wage Theft

CAJM members have expressed anger about illegal wage practices in Charleston County. Our research revealed that Charleston County residents and employees have their wages stolen or withheld in many ways.

Racial Discrimination in Police Practices

Racial Discrimination in Police Practices

The cities of Charleston and North Charleson uncovered disparities between Blacks and Whites in areas of traffic stops, arrests and use of force. In Nov. 2023, Charleston released its assessment report of the racial bias audit. View the report here: Interim CPD Report (charleston-sc.gov)

Youth Incarceration

Research shows that children in Charleston County were being arrested and incarcerated at higher rates than other counties in South Carolina and that most were being arrested for minor offenses.

Lack of Affordable Housing

Lack of Affordable Housing

Charleston area housing costs have skyrocketed. 211,000 residents spend more than 30% of their income on housing. Rental costs increased twice as much as wages from 2011 to 2016. N Charleston’s 2016 eviction rate was 16.5%, the highest of any large city in the US, with 10 households evicted every day. CAJM is successfully pushing the county to invest millions of dollars in a housing trust fund.

Inadequate Transportation

Charleston’s public transportation system takes too much time for thousands of community members who rely on it every day. Most bus lines run only once every 60 minutes and some every 90 minutes. Most riders have to walk or bike over a mile to get to a bus stop. There is no weekly pass and most low wage earners cannot afford the monthly pass.

What Folks Are Saying

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