HKonJ marchers had many causes, but most agreed on the importance of voting

From amid the dozens of signs and banners people carried during Saturday’s 14th annual Historic Thousands on Jones Street march and rally, a clear message emerged: Change starts at the ballot box.

Rev. William Barber II, who helped launch the march often known as HKonJ while he was president of the NAACP’s North Carolina conference, set the theme.

“I’m tired of crying. I’m tired of mourning, and I’m going to fight with love,” Barber told the crowd. “I’m going to fight with truth. I’m going to fight with marching. I’m going to fight at the ballot box. ... It’s time to vote. It’s time to intensify and embolden your agitation.”

Barber and other speakers directly addressed the turbulent politics of the moment, pointing to a wide-ranging set of social, economic and environmental issues, from the detention of undocumented immigrants to coal ash contamination. While many speakers focused on the policies of President Donald Trump, a significant portion also pointed at the Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly, particularly concerning voting rights.

Organizers said roughly 30,000 people attended Saturday’s event, also known as the Moral March. At one point, the group filled almost all of the 100 block of Fayetteville Street, carrying signs with messages such as “Racist statues gotta go,” “Medicare for y’all” and “End anti-trans violence.”

The federation of more than 200 churches, unions and social justice groups involved in HKonJ are organized around 14 points, The News & Observer previously reported, including improving the state’s public school system, boosting the state’s minimum wage, expanding access to health care, and providing affordable housing.

Each of the 14 points was on display Sunday, but speakers almost invariably turned back to the ballot box.

Aissa Dearing, a senior at J.D. Clement Early College High School at N.C. Central University in Durham, spoke about environmental justice.

“Why is it that I live 20 minutes away from a decent grocery store yet 2 minutes from a landfill?” Dearing asked. It is important, Dearing added, for those who are not experiencing environmental injustice to listen to the voices of those who are and find ways to focus on the problems they describe.

This election will, Dearing said, mark the first time she has been able to cast a ballot. And, she said, she intends to consider marginalized communities when she is selecting candidates, using her vote as a tool to elevate their concerns.

Focus on voting rights

Rev. T. Anthony Spearman, the president of the NAACP’s N.C. conference, called June 25, 2013, the low point of his efforts to expand voting rights. That day, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Shelby County v. Holder by a 5-4 margin, eliminating a portion of the Voting Rights Act that required certain jurisdictions to gain federal approval before making changes to their voting laws.

“They don’t want us to vote,” Spearman said, “because they know that when we vote, we win.”

The Shelby decision also resonated with people in the crowd. Elaine Farrior came to Raleigh from Duplin County with her daughter. Farrior says she has attended every HKonJ march and participated in civil rights marches at N.C. A&T University in the 1960s. The seemingly constant series of lawsuits about voting rights in North Carolina is frustrating, she said.

“It hurts,” she said. “And I’m supposed to be a citizen that’s born with the same rights as every other citizen? But yet I’ve still got to keep fighting for the same right to vote?”

Farrior also expressed frustration about her efforts to reach out to politicians on both the state and federal level, saying she doesn’t ever receive a personalized response and is added to what she called the officials’ “propaganda list.”

“It is important that our legislators know that we see them and we hear them and that we want them to change, and that they listen to us,” Farrior said. “Everybody, whether we vote for them or not, is a citizen, and our needs and wants need to be heard.”

Calls for Medicaid expansion

Medicaid expansion was a common desire among those gathered Saturday on Fayetteville Street. In the center of the crowd stood dozens of people wearing white coats — doctors and medical students in favor of Medicaid expansion. The issue has resulted in an ongoing state budget standoff, with Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, refusing to sign a budget that doesn’t expand Medicaid and legislative Republicans refusing to include the measure in budget bills.

Mohan Chilukuri, a Durham family medicine doctor, was among the group calling for Medicaid expansion.

“We want to have health care available for all,” Chilukuri said. “Practically speaking, that means we should expand Medicaid in North Carolina. This is a fight that’s been going on for 10 years, and the Republican Party has neglected to do its duty to take care of the citizens of North Carolina.”

Chilukuri added that events such as Saturday’s take on added significance in election years.

“In order to affect change, we have to choose the political leaders that have the same values we have,” he said. “And in order to do that, everyone who cares about these issues must go out and vote. If you don’t vote, you don’t count.”

Spearman, the NAACP president, acknowledged the ongoing struggle in many issues. But he also pointed to some victories, including North Carolina’s agreement with Duke Energy that will see the power giant excavate more than 80 million tons of coal ash and the NAACP’s successful challenge against North Carolina’s proposed voter ID law, a win that will assure ID isn’t required for this year’s primaries, at least.

“We’re still fighting, and we’re still going to win,” Spearman said. “And we can’t put our ballots down now.”

This reporting is financially supported by Report for America/GroundTruth Project and The North Carolina Local News Lab Fund, a component fund of the North Carolina Community Foundation. The News & Observer maintains full editorial control of the work. To support the future of this reporting, subscribe or donate.