Down Home North Carolina (also known as Down Home NC) is a lobbying organization founded to promote Democratic candidates and left-of-center policies in North Carolina. The organization has ties to left-leaning national organizing group People’s Action as well as similar groups in other states including Michigan United and Hoosier Action. The group focuses on organizing and promoting Democratic candidates in rural and small-town areas of North Carolina.

It has been involved in pushing for Medicaid expansion in North Carolina, opposing right-of-center criticism of critical race theory-inspired curriculum, and supporting an increased minimum wage in North Carolina. ^{1 2 3}

Background

Down Home North Carolina was formed in March 2020. The group’s website states that it became a fully independent organization in January 2021. The board of directors of the organization included representatives from People’s Action and the People’s Action Institute as well as left-leaning state groups Michigan United and Hoosier Action. The organization’s board also includes a representative from Siembra NC, a far-left immigration advocacy group that opposes the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and operates a hotline that alerts communities to ICE activity within the state. ^{4 5 6}

Down Home NC employs several local organizers across the state of North Carolina and hires several additional organizers in full-time and part-time jobs throughout the campaign season. The organization is directed by Dreama Caldwell, an organizer based in rural Alamance County who began working with the group to oppose cash bail after she was held in the county jail under a $40,000 bond for a crime that she says that she did not commit. Todd Zimmer is the other co-director of the group. Zimmer previously worked as an organizer for groups including the Rainforest Action Network, Friends of the Earth, and Green Corps. ^{7 8 9}

Activity

Down Home North Carolina operates get-out-the-vote initiatives and public policy issue campaigns designed to promote Democratic turnout in rural areas of North Carolina. Two major initiatives of the group include supporting state-level Medicaid expansion, which would provide state and federal funding to extend taxpayer-funded Medicaid benefits to 600,000 additional people in North Carolina. ¹⁰

The group has also mobilized to support local school boards and oppose Republican-led efforts to limit critical race theory-inspired curriculum in public schools, citing opposition to so-called “book bans.” ^{11 12}

Down Home North Carolina operates a bail fund in Alamance County, where Caldwell was previously jailed. The fund pays bails that are set at under $1,000 to allow individuals to leave jail before their trial. ¹³

Controversy

In August 2021, Down Home North Carolina fired three organizers including two local organizers in Haywood and Alamance counties and Chelsea White-Hoglen, then group’s statewide organizer. The organizers stated that they were fired in a manner that made them ineligible for unemployment benefits, and alleged that the firings were in retaliation for their attempt to unionize employees to oppose being overworked. The fired organizers also stated that their firings were in part due to retaliation from co-director Todd Zimmer after they complained about his leadership and a policy that stated that he had the authority to review complaints about himself. ¹⁴

1. “About.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/about-us/
2. “Medicaid Expansion.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/medicaid-expansion/
3. “School Boards.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/school-boards/
4. “Our Board.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/our-board/
5. “About.” Siembra NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.siembranc.org/about-us
6. “Down Home NC.” ProPublica. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831236736
7. Noor, Jaisal. “Jailed for A Crime She Didn’t Commit, Dreama Caldwell Is Now Taking On The System.” The Real News Network. April 20, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://therealnews.com/jailed-for-a-crime-she-didnt-commit-dreama-caldwell-is-now-taking-on-the-system
8. “Todd Zimmer.” LinkedIn. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-zimmer-678393218/details/experience/
9. “Contact Us.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/contact-us/
10. “Medicaid Expansion.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/medicaid-expansion/
11. “Medicaid Expansion.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/medicaid-expansion/
12. “School Boards.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/school-boards/
13. “Bail Fund.” Down Home NC. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://downhomenc.org/bailfund/
14. Vaillancourt, Cory. “Down Home NC fire local organizers.” Smoky Mountain News. August 18, 2021. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://smokymountainnews.com/archives/item/31987-down-home-n-c-fire-local-organizers