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Statement on Justice Allison Riggs appointment to NC Supreme Court

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Congratulations to the Honorable Justice Allision Riggs, the next Supreme Court Justice of the State of North Carolina. Justice Riggs is the youngest Supreme Court Justice nominee in NC history.  Photo taken ten years ago at a Press Conference outside the State BOE (Downtown Raleigh) Justice Riggs was then Chief Legal Counsel at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ) and took my case (pro-bono) to get on the ballot and run for city council as a bright-eyed 21-year-old college student in Elizabeth City, NC (2013). My case had statewide and national implications because the requirements to run for office were (and still are) the exact requirements to vote.  I won the right to run for office and, subsequently, a seat on the city council because of this phenomenal woman and her powerhouse team at the SCSJ, which was at the time led by Justice Anita Earls. My win was a win-win for college students across the country because if we had lost, republicans would have been s...
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Thank you Congressman Butterfield!

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  The Honorable George Kenneth Butterfield Jr. became Congressman Butterfield on July 20, 2004. I was fourteen years old and president of my eighth-grade class. The average price of gas was $2.10 a gallon. President George W. Bush was president, and the United States of America was at war with Iraq.  The world was a different place than it was today, but challenges and opportunities are constant. Congressman Butterfield navigated through many obstacles and opened the doors to many opportunities for the First Congressional District of North Carolina. He realized that some of the decisions he made had the potential to inspire and change lives.  I met the Congressman in the fall of 2013 while running for Elizabeth City City Council. He took my campaign team and me out for dinner and inspired us to continue the fight. He was proud of me because I was a small manifestation of what he had spent his entire life fighting for, voting rights. See, I had to fight to get on the ballo...
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Justice Served for Ahmaud Arbery

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 On February 23, 2020, a 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery was chased and shot down in rural Georgia by three white men performing a "citizens arrest." Come to find out, neither of those men witnessed Ahmaud committing a crime. Ahmaud's only crime was jogging through a neighborhood where some felt he did not belong because of the color of his skin.  As a black man, I do not have to explain why watching the Ahmaud Aubery trial has been challenging and triggering. It's personal for me. No matter how professional, courteous, or "nice" my demeanor is. I am still a black man in the south. And often go out of my way to make sure that I do not appear threatening to those that do not look like me. Today is a giant leap forward for justice and equal rights. I am beyond relieved that justice was served today. However, my heart still aches for the hundreds if not thousands of black men and their families that are still devoid of justice.  I long to see a day when I will not h...
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Wake Board of Commissioners Passes LGBTQ Protections

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Earlier today, the Wake County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed a non-discrimination ordinance protecting the LGBTQ+ community. This ordinance may seem unnecessary to some who are apparently in their bubble. However, it is a significant sign of hope for many in Raleigh, and Wake County, who have seen firsthand the realities of homophobia in our capital city and County. The sad truth of the matter is, this is still the South. And the bible "belt" that continues to whip fear and spew hate, evidenced by dangerous remarks , from Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson. When he referred to human beings as "filth." This rhetoric has no place in our political discourse, and discrimination of any form has no place in our society. Everyone deserves equal treatment under the law. I applaud the commissioners for unanimously passing this ordinance and a special shout out to Vice-Chair Vickie Adamson and Commissioner Matt Calabria for initiating this.  Photo Credit: Equalit...
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In Memory of Gen. Colin Powell: a True American Patriot

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Our nation is in mourning. Retired four-star General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell is dead at 84 years old.  I never had the honor of meeting General Colin Powell. However, as a child, I read about him extensively, and his story resonated with me because he, like myself, grew up in extreme poverty. Watching him rise to the upper echelons of the American Government reminded me that with education and hard work, anything is possible.  I was ten years old in 2001 when General Powell became the first black Secretary of State in American history. I have always admired him, regardless of my party affiliation. However, my admiration for him was reaffirmed in 2008 when he endorsed President Barack Obama. With his endorsement, he inspired others to choose hope over fear and unity over division.  This honorable public servant put his stamp on history years ago. However, I believe one of his crowning accomplishments will be speaking out against the insurrection of 2021 ...
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EPA Combats Cancer Causing "Forever Chemicals"

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 " Today the EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, announced the  Biden Administration's strategy  to aggressively confront "forever chemicals" also known as  PFAS . These toxic industrial compounds are not only harmful to our environment but harmful to our public health. This announcement is a decisive leap forward and a breath of fresh air for  communities in NC  that know firsthand the dangerous impacts of  PFAS . I applaud the Biden administration for taking action to protect lives, save the environment, and secure our future."   Montravias King 
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Remembering the Honorable Virginia Simmons Tillett

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I write today with immense sadness upon notification of the passing of the Honorable Virginia Simmons Tillett, a trailblazer in Eastern North Carolina politics. She served Dare County for over thirty years with pride and distinction. However, Ms. Tillet was much more than just an elected official. She was an educator, historian, mother, grandmother, friend, and mentor to many (including myself). Ms. Tillett revived the history of the Freedmen of Roanoke Colony, AKA "The other lost colony." She worked tirelessly to educate people and raise awareness about the significance of black history in Manteo (Dare County).  I met Ms. Tillett in 2014 while serving on the Elizabeth City, City Council and Secretary of the Eastern North Carolina Civic Group. She made a positive impression on me, and I often sought her advice and nuggets of wisdom. This phenomenal woman was also a proud graduate of Elizabeth City State University and a former ECSU Board of Trustee member.  I send my sinceres...
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