MLK town hall allows the community to voice concerns for New Hanover County and America
"We're just confused about how any president would eliminate something that's there to stop discrimination."
NEW HANOVER COUNTY (WWAY)–A “Martin Luther King” town hall held at the International Longshoreman’s Association Hall in Wilmington Tuesday night allowed the African American community to voice their concerns about New Hanover County and the country.
Sonya Patrick, with the National Black Leadership Caucus, led Tuesday night’s event. At times, it focused on the 2024 election and the Heritage Foundation’s “Project 2025” book, which was a key part of Democratic messaging against President Donald Trump during the election.
Patrick says these conversations are sometimes uncomfortable, but the main message is “unity in the community” over the next four years.
Patrick says part of their “Black agenda” will focus on Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We will not shop at businesses or institutions where they eliminated their DEI program. This is not only for Black people but also Indigenous people, people of color, the Hispanic community, the Native American community, and white women. So, it impacts everyone. We’re just confused about how any president would eliminate something that’s there to stop discrimination,” Patrick said.
Patrick said these policies have been valuable for progress for the last sixty years and said we’re not going back to the 1950s, which is a reference to the organization’s motto, “we’re not going back.”
