By Jordan Meadows
Staff Writer
The 19th Annual NC Black Summit was held last Thursday and Friday at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree, bringing together Black elected officials, public policy advocates, community stakeholders, strategic partners, and constituents from across the state.
Under the theme Charting OUR Course Through a Crisis, the sold-out event served as a vital gathering point for Black leadership to navigate the post-election climate, address pressing community concerns, and recommit to building a more equitable and just North Carolina.
This year’s Summit came at a critical juncture. As legislative threats to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) grow and economic disparities widen, the Summit called on attendees to stay the course, resist distractions, and focus on the collective priorities of North Carolina’s Black communities.
“The Black Alliance and our state continue to push through these challenges,” said Rep. Valerie Foushee, Board Chair of the NC Black Alliance.
Governor Josh Stein opened the Friday program with a welcome speech that highlighted key areas in his proposed budget—early care and education, healthcare, and housing.
“Let’s chart a course through these uncertain times,” Stein said. “Something that is forward-looking, something that represents the best of North Carolina. And together, we will build a state that is safer, stronger, and more prosperous with opportunity for every one of us.”
The Summit featured a rich agenda packed with town halls, breakout policy sessions, and powerful keynote addresses. Pastor James D. Gailliard, Senior Pastor of Word Tabernacle Church, delivered the opening plenary keynote, emphasizing faith-rooted leadership in times of crisis. Later in the day, South Carolina Representative John C. King gave the keynote at the Senator Jeanne H. Lucas Luncheon, followed by a compelling closing banquet address by LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, who energized the crowd around civic engagement and voter empowerment.
One of the Summit’s most anticipated sessions, “The State of Our Democracy,” took place Thursday afternoon, featuring an unscripted dialogue around recent legislative efforts aimed at dismantling DEI initiatives in public education and government institutions. Moderated by Marcus Bass, Deputy Director of the NC Black Alliance, the panel included Ashlei Blue of America Votes, Serena Sebring of Blueprint NC, and Desmera Gatewood, who discussed strategies for protecting democracy and expanding the electorate.
On Friday, policy sessions covered education equity, healthcare access, the economy’s impact on Black communities, and emerging civic engagement models. A standout session titled “Centering Justice in Marginalized Communities” brought together thought leaders to explore justice-centered approaches to health, housing, and public safety.
“We are here for three critical things: a healthy education, solid and coherent organization, and a mobilization of systemic change personally and politically,” Collins said. The current material conditions… are creating firestorms across immigration, economic development, education—the things we need the most are the areas of government and society that are being robbed the most.”
The panel continued to discuss the purposes of their respective organizations and how they can work to make progress in getting justice in marginalized communities.
“We are fighting for accountability with law enforcement to ensure each of us, and everyone who looks like us can stay safe. We are an organization that unapologetically works for the advancement of the liberation of Black people because we are always the last to receive any benefit,” Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC said.
Alongside Samone Dillahunt (Advance Community Health) and Melanie Allen (HIVE Fund), Dr. Courtney Woods of UNC Gillings School of Public Health explained how environmental efforts and public health are significant to marginalized communities.
“I would love to think about what it means to both prioritize the humans that are on this planet and our natural world that we rely on for all the resources we need for living, the ways we as state and local officials can think about how to protect the communities and the natural environment,” Dr. Woods said. “Certain communities are overburdened with environmental hazards and harms.”
Leaders discussed actionable strategies to preserve and strengthen North Carolina’s public school systems as vehicles of opportunity for all. Conversations also turned toward Black leadership on school boards and in local government, addressing the need for more inclusive decision-making and representative leadership at every level.
Notable attendees included State Senator Kandie Smith, Chair of the North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus; Rev. Corine Mack, President of the NAACP Charlotte-Mecklenburg Branch; Alyssa Canty, Board Chair of Blueprint NC; and Raki McGregor, Chief Executive in Residence with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Other prominent figures included The Honorable Carol A. Worley of Clinton City Schools, Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Harrison of Zebulon, and Guilford County Commissioner J. Carlvena Foster.
The NC Department of Administration’s Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses had an informational table on-site, offering resources to local entrepreneurs, while 92.10 FM’s People’s Choice Station captured real-time community feedback and interviews throughout the event.
In a special moment of recognition, The Honorable G. Michael Cogdell, former Chair of the NC Association of Black County Officials, received the Viola Harris Award for his long-standing service and leadership.
