By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
Former North Carolina State Senator Floyd McKissick Jr. recently spoke to students at William Peace University, delivering a powerful message that wove his family’s pioneering civil rights history with an urgent call for renewed political engagement and bipartisanship in today’s deeply divided America.
The former Durham City Councilman and State Senator, who served 13 years in the General Assembly, praised the campus for its "perfect" and "intimate" academic community, encouraging students to "cherish the years that you're here, grow, thrive, and prosper for those experiences." Senator McKissick began by grounding his political life in the struggles of the segregated South he grew up in. Born and raised in North Carolina, he witnessed a reality where "restrooms were segregated, lunch counters were segregated, water fountains were segregated, everything that you can imagine was segregated."
His father, Floyd McKissick Sr., was a pivotal figure in the Civil Rights Movement. He was denied admission to the University of North Carolina Law School, leading to the landmark 1951 lawsuit, McKissick versus Carmichael. His attorney was Thurgood Marshall, who later became the first African American Supreme Court Justice. McKissick Jr. detailed the personal cost of breaking down racial barriers. His two oldest sisters were pioneers in desegregating Durham public schools in 1959. Years later, he integrated North Durham Elementary School at the sixth-grade level. He recalled the systemic prejudice he faced as a young Black student: "The teachers had never seen a Black student before. They assumed that you were inferior. You were tearing down those various discriminations. But that is the way it was when I was growing up."
His father’s work with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which included organizing Freedom Rides, spearheading sit-ins, and speaking at the 1963 March on Washington alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., provided a unique and formative experience. McKissick Jr. showed photographs of his father with Dr. King and Malcolm X, illustrating the historical exposure that "shaped my life, how they shaped my values."
The Senator transitioned from his historical roots to his philosophy on effective governing, which is centered on finding common ground and building bipartisan coalitions. He cited his time on the Durham City Council, where he worked with a politically split body to realize major projects like the development of downtown Durham, the construction of the Durham Bulls stadium, and the Durham Performing Arts Center.
His time in the State Senate, serving under both Democratic and Republican majorities, further reinforced this belief. "One thing I found, regardless of the circumstances, if you build coalitions, you can get things done," he asserted. McKissick emphasized a strategic, selfless approach to lawmaking, often seeking Republican co-sponsors on bills, such as those dealing with criminal justice reform, to ensure passage. He detailed his successful effort to create a first-of-its-kind law for automatic expunction of criminal records in cases of mistaken identity—a bill that had Republican co-sponsors and was signed into law by then-Governor Pat McCrory. "Don't worry about whether you get credit for the outcome all the time... you have to be content to know you change the outcome rather than worrying about the credit." He later successfully championed legislation that legalized and regulated companies like Uber and Lyft in North Carolina by working with 27 different stakeholders across the aisle. His guiding principle for working with those who disagree is simple: focus on the solution, not the complaint.
Expressing deep and transparent concern over the current political divisiveness, which he called "unprecedented," McKissick issued a rallying cry to students, urging them to become "politically active, engaged, and conscious." When asked by a student how young people can get involved and form coalitions, the Senator offered concrete steps:
Look Locally: Join established political groups in the community or on campus, such as Young Republicans or Young Democrats, or form a new club based on shared aspirational goals.
See Government Firsthand: He encouraged students to seek internships at the General Assembly in Raleigh to "understand the levers of power" and "see how it functions, you see how it operates."
Develop a "Win-Win" Mindset: Addressing a question about foreign conflicts.
McKissick shared his experience chairing the Democratic Party’s resolutions committee. By spending dozens of hours researching and negotiating with people on both sides of highly divisive international issues, he helped craft a single, unifying resolution that everyone could embrace. The key, he stressed, is working to find a "win-win" outcome rather than settling for a "win-lose."
Senator McKissick concluded by reaffirming his faith in the "basic character" of North Carolinians and Americans. He spoke of the "lanky kid with a funny-sounding name who might go on to become the next president of the United States, like Barack Obama," reminding the audience that the true American dream is about granting every person the "opportunity to excel," regardless of their background. "That epitomizes the American dream, that epitomizes the opportunities for success, and that epitomizes what really, truly makes us great." The talk ended on a lighter note with the revelation of his primary hobby outside of politics: photography, a pursuit he has enjoyed since high school and which offers him a "creative way of doing" things. The importance of visual art and seeing the best in our people as community leaders was a powerful concluding note.
