The North Carolina Moral March to the polls mobilizing tour stopped in Asheville last night.
Bishop William J. Barber II, national co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, addressed many issues including wage disparity, Medicaid, and food insecurity.
“This State Assembly has made it easier to get a gun than to get food,” Barber said. “Both U.S. Senators voted against living wages. Both of them voted against 320,000 people in this state. 372,000 in North Carolina are expected to lose Medicaid by March 2024.”
Barber listed several statistics about the state's most vulnerable people.
- More than 40% of the state are poor or low-income (more than 4 million residents).
- More than 1 million North Carolinians still lack health insurance.
- Nearly 2 million North Carolinians earn less than a minimum living wage of $15/hour, 37% of the workforce.
- Average household debt rose 6% in 2022 to an average of $56,590 in North Carolina.
Bishop Barber called on fellow North Carolinians stop accepting "being acted on" and to instead take action.
The tour culminates with a march in Raleigh, NC on Saturday, March 2nd at the NC State Capitol.
