21-year-old becomes youngest person in North Carolina serving in public office
KINSTON, NC (WTVD) — Chris Suggs recently became the youngest person serving in public office in North Carolina and is believed to be one of the youngest ever to be elected to public office.
Public service is nothing new for Suggs, but his newest role as Kinston City Councilmember stands out.
“The past 24 hours have been a whirlwind of emotions. I’m truly honored that I’ve now been sworn-in to the Kinston City Council to begin my four-year term,” said Suggs, during a sit-down interview inside Council Chambers on Wednesday afternoon.
The 21-year-old, who previously served as UNC Senior Class President and president of UNC’s Black Student Movement, has drawn national attention for his non-profit work. Suggs created Kinston Teens in 2014 in response to escalating gun violence in the city; the organization encourages young people to seek out community service and civic engagement. In 2017, he purchased a foreclosure for $1,000 and helped convert it into a community center.
“We’ve shown that young people can and will make a difference on the issues that are important to us. Whether that’s responding to hurricanes and natural disasters, getting young people registered to vote, showing up, filling up our City Council and School Board meetings. We’ve done that as an organization. As a generation of young people in this community, it’s so nice. It truly encompasses the mission of Kinston Teens of me being a City Councilmember, of us getting more young people involved with local government,” Suggs said.
