WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — With candidates getting ready for the general election in November, one group is trying to get more women involved in politics.
The Wilmington Alumni Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority held a special panel discussion about “Bringing Their Chair to the Table.”
The event focused on the challenges African American women face trying to enter politics.
The panel included Northwest Mayor Sheila Grady and State Senator Kandie Smith.
There are currently 17 African American women serving in the North Carolina General Assembly, out of 170 total seats, and two congresswomen, out of the 16 seats the Tar Heel State has in the US House and Senate.
Acquinetta Beatty is the president of the Wilmington Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority.
She said while the members of the panel are an impressive group, there’s still more than can be done to get their voices heard.
“Because in our region, we really don’t have a lot of African American women that are in politics and basically, that is where things are decided and take place and we want to be a part of those decisions that are made,” Beatty said. “And we think the diversity would make a big difference in the things that happen in our area.”
The first African-American member of Congress, Shirley Chisolm, was a member of Delta Sigma Theta.