The Charlotte Black Voter Project hosted a forum Wednesday with candidates running in races statewide. One of the goals is to engage Black voters who may have stopped showing up at the polls consistently.
The forum uptown included candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, superintendent of public instruction and judicial races.
Both parties were invited, but only the Democrats showed up. As for the candidates for governor, there was someone representing Josh Stein’s office, Tryon Mayor Pro-Tem Chrelle Booker, and former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan. Morgan made his pitch for governor.
“There needs to be a commitment by someone like me who understands that government needs to be responsible and responsive to everyone," Morgan said. "To make sure that Black voters indeed feel heard and feel motivated, we've got to be authentic, we've got to be genuine, we’ve got to be responsive to the needs of everyone.”
The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections staff brought a voting machine to walk people through the process. Colette Forrest, one of the event's organizers, said the forum provides an opportunity to reiterate to those in the Black community the importance of their vote.
“Getting them reengaged, re-excited, and to reemerge as a better informed, educated voter so they can cast their ballot consistently in local, state, and federal election every time and every year," Forest said.
The Charlotte Black Voter Project plans to continue its efforts to boost civic engagement by canvassing historically black communities like Hidden Valley in north Charlotte and neighborhoods in west Charlotte.
