The event took place in person and via the Zoom online platform.

“The people who joined in person and through Zoom gathered a ton of very useful information on a number of topics and there were so many great speakers that we couldn’t fit them all into this collage.” Edgecombe County Manager Eric Evans said.

The forum began with the singing of Mary Cherry’s national anthem. The presentation of the colors by Tarboro High School JROTC was led by Major David Wilson and Master Sgt. Robert Garrett, followed by the oath of allegiance and invocation given by Reverend Wayne Hines, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church and Bunn Chapel and vice-chair of the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners.

Greetings from the Town of Tarboro were given by Councilor and Mayor Pro-Tem Othar Woodard. Presentations were made by Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Lamont Wiggins, District Court Judge Mario E. Perez, District Attorney Robert Evans, Edgecombe County Sheriff Clee Atkinson and Magistrate Curtis Eason of the Edgecombe County.

Eric Evans updated on Edgecombe County agencies and departments. Other presenters included Scott Kiser of the Edgecombe Soil and Water Conservation District, lawyer Natarlin R. Best, lawyers SJ Hightower, Joshua W. Cox and Ayana Robinson of Legal Aid of North Carolina, Na ‘im K. Akbar, Bryon Hall, Lucretia Glass -Wooten, Chuck Price, Teresa Andrews and Yahee Armfield, program director of My Sister’s House.

The event also raised awareness of national domestic violence and recognized National Breast Cancer Month in October by wearing pink and purple ribbons.

“Our community is suffering and in need of healing and it is my passion to serve our citizens for greater connection and information with community resources in Edgecombe County, from the judiciary, to all elected officials at all levels of government, faith-based and community-based, informed resilience trauma, empowering individuals impacting families and strengthening community, ”White said.