NC Poor People's Campaign holds discussion on systemic racism
A conversation on systemic racism took place in Raleigh Saturday.
NC Poor People's Campaign held the discussion at the Pullen Memorial Church in Raleigh.
Jerry Blackwell, the lead prosecutor in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, was in attendance.
“Thank you and good afternoon, I’m really honored to be here with a house of servants,” said Blackwell.
The University of North Carolina law grad saw the unrest across the country.
He works as a civil attorney, but the state asked him to serve as a criminal prosecutor in Chauvin's case.
Something he says he couldn't turn down after watching what the former officer did to George Floyd.
"George Floyd died on all of our television sets in our living rooms. We all saw, it was shocking to the core," said Blackwell. "I had a reaction that didn’t come from an intellectual place. It came from a moral place really. "
Blackwell shared he felt a calling to get involved and address injustice.
Also speaking was Geeta N. Kapur as she read from part of her book To Drink from the Well, which looks at cases of racism in higher education, specifically at UNC.
"I went looking for their stories that I needed to write a book about. In finding their story I found a much larger story," said Kapur.
Those in attendance were able to ask questions of Blackwell and Kapur. Both Blackwell and Kapur encouraged the audience to be active in the fight against systemic racism.
