Hi John,

62 years ago today, a courageous group of young Black men refused to be treated as less than full and equal citizens of this state.

Four students sat down at a segregated lunch counter at the Woolworth’s in Greensboro, NC and refused to leave when they were denied service.

By the end of the week, hundreds more students had joined the sit-in in Greensboro, and sit-ins spread to segregated public accommodations nationwide.

The Greensboro sit-ins and the peaceful protests that followed marked some of the most impactful nonviolent activism of the civil rights movement — and Black people in North Carolina led the way.

February is Black History Month, John, and I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the contributions Black North Carolinians have made to our state and our country. We are truly a stronger, more inclusive state because of the diversity of our people.

But we still have much work to do to achieve true equality. Black people still face disparities in health care access, wealth, housing, job opportunities, and so much more — and racism is deeply ingrained in our educational, legal, and health care systems. And the pandemic has only made things worse.

There is much work to be done, and it’s work that I remain committed to. I hope to have your support as we look for real solutions to create a fairer, more equitable North Carolina.

Regards,

Roy Cooper