1000 x 90

The Rev. William J. Barber to Give ‘State of the State’ Address at App State on Thursday

The Rev. William J. Barber II, leader of the N.C. Moral Monday Movement, will speak on March 31 at 7 p.m. in the Schaefer Center at Appalachian State University, delivering the second of two “State of the State of North Carolina 2016” messages by political activists.

These public lectures are being offered in advance of the 2016 election season to address concerns of North Carolina citizens and to better inform the public about issues facing the state. A question and answer session will follow the presentations. The events are free and open to the public.Barber

Barber, is president of the North Carolina NAACP and is best known as the architect/convener of the Forward Together Moral Movement, better known as Moral Monday. The movement is a coalition of over 200 state organizations that support progressive efforts in the arenas of education, labor rights, health care, women’s rights, immigration policy, and the environment.

Barber has an undergraduate degree from N.C. Central University, a Master of Divinity Degree from Duke University, and a doctorate from Drew University. He serves on the NAACP National Board of Directors and is chair of the national NAACP Legislative Political Action Committee.

He is the author of the books “Forward Together: A Moral Message for the Nation” and “The Third Reconstruction: Moral Mondays, Fusion Politics and the Rise of a New Justice Movement,” written with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove and recently published by Beacon Press.

Barber has served as minister at Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro for the past 24 years.

Barbers message follows a March 24 event with John Hood, who was recently named head of the John William Pope Foundation on Higher Education and chairman of the board of the John Locke Foundation.