Indivisible Charlotte’s In The Know Live hosts North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, a veteran civil rights litigator seeking re-election in November 2026, to discuss her background and key issues before the court. Earls describes growing up in a mixed-race family affected by discrimination, her work with Julius Chambers, her DOJ service, and founding the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, and explains why state courts matter amid federal rollbacks of individual rights. She details recent North Carolina vote-suppression efforts, including the Griffin–Riggs dispute and attempts to discard military and overseas ballots, and clarifies the legal difference between racial and partisan gerrymandering. Earls discusses the Leandro education case, her dissent after the court ended the litigation, and argues courts must enforce students’ constitutional right to a sound basic education. She addresses judicial ethics “weaponization,” utility rate cases, her opponent Sarah Stevens’ record, and ends with hope for future court changes, noting three Republican seats are up in the next cycle. Please subscribe to our Indivisible Charlotte podcast on YouTube, Substack, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

00:00 Welcome and Housekeeping

01:16 Meet Justice Earls

02:45 Personal Story and Civil Rights Roots

06:10 Why State Courts Matter

08:27 Voting Rights and Suppression

16:26 Gerrymandering Explained

19:56 Path to Fair Maps

23:00 Leandro and Public Schools

30:03 Rights and Court Independence

34:55 Energy Rates and Consumers

37:55 Ethics and Dark Money

43:22 Opponent Contrast and Campaign

46:00 Audience Q&A and Canvassing

53:45 Hope and Closing Remarks

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