Black Caucus to hold EC town halls

Lawmakers at ECSU Thursday and Friday

The North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus will moderate discussions on issues ranging from federal stimulus funding and voter registration to health care during town hall meetings in Elizabeth City this week.

The group of black state lawmakers, whose membership includes state Rep. Annie Mobley, D-Hertford, and state Sen. Ed Jones, D-Halifax, will meet at Elizabeth City State University on Thursday and Friday.

Thursday’s meeting, which goes from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the K.E. White Center, is open to the public. Friday’s meeting will take place at 10 a.m. and is limited to ECSU students.

Mobley and Jones say that their primary goal is just to get people comfortable talking with their legislators.

“(Sometimes people think) that we are people they only see on TV or in the newspaper, but we want them to know that we are people they can see on a personal basis,” Jones said.

Jones represents Chowan, Perquimans, Gates, Bertie, Halifax, Hertford and Northampton counties. He said he’s hoping residents will take advantage of the opportunity to express their concerns to their political leaders.

“We need to have open government. We need to be frank with folks,” Jones said. “The main thing is to let them know who their political leadership is.”

Mobley, who represents Perquimans, Gates, Bertie and Hertford counties, hopes the town hall will help residents see that members of the Black Caucus are approachable. Mobley said she wants all people — regardless of race — to take part in the event and feel comfortable getting to know members of the caucus.

“(I hope) they can identify not just with us as representatives, but have an opportunity for feeling more comfortable talking with their own legislators,” Mobley said.

Mobley and Jones both expressed excitement about Friday’s event, which will be just for ECSU students.

The topics for Friday’s event are more centered around typical student concerns, like parking and housing, but Mobley says she anticipates that many of the topics discussed during Thursday’s town hall will carry over into Friday’s.

Jones hopes that Friday’s discussions will be inspirational to ECSU students.

“I want these students to take an interest in government so that when we’re no longer in government we’ll have folks to carry the torch and make the state a better place in which to live and work,” he said.