RALEIGH, N.C. AP – In a debate rarely seen at the Legislature, senators – both black and white – talked about their experiences with racism and intolerance.
Sen. Tony Foriest spoke of how, as a child, his family planned their vacation stops based on where they would be permitted to stay for the night. Sen. Bill Purcell struggled with knowing his grandfather had been a slave owner. And Sen. Jim Jacumin told of how his Waldensian ancestors – some of whom now live in western North Carolina – were enslaved for their religious beliefs.
