Nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services is pleased to welcome Dr. Imani Perry as their 14th Annual Justice Forum keynote speaker, this year on October 23, 2025 in Asheville, with a free watch party happening simultaneously in Spruce Pine. The event is free, but registration is required. This event is made possible by presenting sponsors Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow and others generous members of our community.
The local watch party will take place at Cross Street Commerce Center, 31 Cross St. Light refreshments will be provided, and doors open at 6:30 p.m. Questions? Contact Maxine McLaughlin at maxine@pisgahlegal.org.
Perry is a celebrated author, legal scholar, and cultural critic whose work bridges history, law, literature, and the arts to examine the enduring legacies of race and inequality in America.
A professor at Harvard University and recipient of a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, Perry is known for her insightful books, including South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation, which won the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Pisgah Legal Services Executive Director Jackie Kiger says, “There is much we can learn from Dr. Perry’s unique and insightful experiences and perspective. Pisgah Legal is pleased to bring her to Western North Carolina for a singular opportunity to explore the intersection of justice, race, and democracy.”
The Justice Forum takes place at 7pm on Thursday, October 23rd at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Harrah’s Cherokee Center, in downtown Asheville. Livestream will also be available, and free regional watch parties are also planned in Brevard, Cullowhee, Highlands and Spruce Pine.
At the Asheville event, a ticketed pre-event reception will take place in the Harrah’s Cherokee Center Banquet Hall, and the Justice Forum will follow in Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets to the reception are $125/person and include food and drink. Advance registration is required at www.pisgahlegal.org/
ABOUT PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES
Nonprofit Pisgah Legal Services (PLS) provides a broad array of free, civil legal aid, anti-poverty advocacy and access to health care assistance in the 18-county WNC region. Last year, Pisgah Legal served more than 25,000 people, many of whom were recovering from Hurricane Helene.
PLS has offices in Asheville, Brevard, Burnsville, Cashiers, Franklin, Hendersonville, Highlands, Marshall, Newland, Rutherfordton, Spruce Pine and Waynesville. Pisgah Legal employs staff attorneys and harnesses the power of approximately 250 volunteer lawyers who assist PLS clients.
This is the 14th year PLS has hosted this annual event to call for justice, draw attention to the needs of people struggling to make ends meet in WNC and to generate conversation about pressing local and national issues. Former speakers include: Clint Smith, Jose Antonio Vargas, Matthew Desmond, Marian Wright Edelman, Peter Edelman, Sister Simone Campbell, and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha.
For more information about the Asheville event, contact Lori Nierzwick at 828-818-5474 or visit www.pisgahlegal.org/
