By Jheri Hardaway
Staff Writer
NC General Assembly - On the morning of January 5th at 11AM, area clergy and faith leaders united outside of the North Carolina General Assembly to build a more equitable state for all. The cold air outside the North Carolina General Assembly was no opponent for the passionate speakers charged with a "deep moral conscience." Under the leadership of Reverend Dr. Floyd Wicker Jr., The People’s Fellowship of North Carolina, a diverse coalition of clergy, faith leaders, and grassroots advocates gathered to issue a clarion call to the state’s lawmakers. The message was unequivocal: A state budget is not merely a ledger of numbers—it is a moral document that reveals the heart of North Carolina’s priorities.
The morning’s most poignant testimony came from Geraldine Alshamy, whose life’s work in social justice was forged in the heat of the 1971 school integration in Wilson, NC. Alshamy detailed a harrowing "second awakening" when she first encountered systemic hostility in the education system. She argued that current legislative failures are fueling what she termed the "Home-School-Prison Cycle." Alshamy highlighted the devastating impact of chronic underfunding and the "dumbing down" of curricula through standardized testing. "When children act out in pain, fear, or distress, the system does not respond with healing," Alshamy stated. "It responds with discipline, exclusion, suspension, and incarceration." Alshamy’s data-driven plea emphasized the mental health crisis within schools: 85% of principals report serious mental health issues among students, 75% of teachers report working under extreme mental stress, and many are medicated. North Carolina currently ranks last in the nation for providing faculty access to behavioral health supports.
The economic stakes were laid bare as speakers addressed the ongoing budget impasse. Advocates pointed to a staggering "transfer of wealth" occurring at the legislative level. While corporate tax rates are scheduled to hit 0% by 2030, the federal "funding cliff" threatens to strip food assistance (SNAP) from 142,000 North Carolinians and Medicaid coverage from 255,000 residents. The coalition called for an immediate end to corporate tax cuts to recover the billions in revenue needed to shield the state’s most vulnerable from these federal shortfalls. "Leadership is not measured by how much power you hold," the Reverend Dr. Floyd Wicker Jr. reminded the crowd, "but by how you protect the citizens of this state."
The event also turned its focus toward the integrity of the democratic process. Tyler Daye of Common Cause North Carolina criticized the recent redrawing of congressional districts, specifically targeting District 1. According to Daye, the new maps intentionally dilute the voting power of the "Black Belt" by shifting the Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) from over 40% down by more than 8%. "This is election manipulation," Daye argued, calling for an independent citizens' commission to take the power of redistricting out of the hands of "power-hungry politicians."
The rally concluded with a unique symbolic gesture: the introduction of the "Pulpit of Nonviolence." Faith leaders from across the state were invited to sign the wooden podium, which will travel across North Carolina as a mobile site for organizing and advocacy. As the gathering dispersed, the sentiment remained: North Carolina stands at a crossroads. The choice, as the People’s Fellowship put it, is between "courage and convenience." For the readers of The Carolinian, the call to action is clear: stay informed, stay vocal, and demand a budget that reflects the worth of every child and worker in the Old North State.
