Events

The State Executive Committee (SEC) of the North Carolina Democratic Party (NCDP) will meet on Saturday, August 29, 2009 in the Lakeshore Ballroom at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte.

Optional training begins at 9am (space is limited).
Registration begins at 11am.

Additional information is available at www.ncdp.org.

On Saturday, Aug. 29, four events across North Carolina will send a strong pro-health care message in Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville and Raleigh. Raleigh's event will be held at the Historic Capitol Building.

For more information please contact Debra Tyler-Horton at 919-856-2169, or NC Fair Share: 1-866-302-0031

North Carolina Democratic Party Chairman David Young announced the addition of Justice Henry Frye to the marquee of the Party’s Sanford Hunt Dinner.

The annual event, now in its fourth year, will now be known as the Sanford Hunt Frye Dinner to honor and recognize Justice Frye’s outstanding leadership, public service, and dedication to improving the lives of all North Carolinians.

“I’m proud to add Justice Frye’s name to this event,” said Gov. Jim Hunt. “It is a privilege for me to share this recognition with two great men like Justice Henry Frye and Gov. Terry Sanford. Their service shone as a bright light into the dark corners of our society and stood as a beacon to all those who wanted to improve our communities.”

This year’s dinner will be held on Saturday, August 29 in conjunction with the NCDP’s State Executive Committee meeting in Charlotte, with special guests Governor Bev Purdue, Governor Jim Hunt, and Chief Justice Frye.

“It is a significant honor for Justice Frye to be recognized in this way,” said Rep. Mickey Michaux, D-Durham. “His service to the Party and his dedication to helping people in the community make him a tremendous role model and someone we can all look up to.”

About Justice Frye

Born in Richmond County in 1932, Frye grew up in the farming community of Ellerbe. He earned his undergraduate degree at North Carolina A & T University in Greensboro and his law degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. He also served in the U.S. Air Force as a munitions officer stationed in Japan and Korea and later as a Judge Advocate General Area Representative with the Air Force Reserve.

Frye became in 1968 the first African-American elected to the state legislature in the 20th century. Serving in the House from 1969 to 1980 and in the Senate from 1981 to 1982, Frye introduced legislation banning literacy tests as a requirement for voter registration.

He continued his efforts to expand opportunities for African-Americans in business and public service by co-founding the Greensboro National Bank, the Legislative Black Caucus, and the Caucus’ scholarship foundation.

Frye was appointed as an associate justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court by Gov. Hunt in 1983, becoming the first African-American to serve on the court. In 1999 Justice Frye became the first African-American to hold the highest post in the Court, serving as its Chief Justice until 2001. He is currently an attorney at Brooks Pierce Law Firm in Greensboro.

“I’m not an attorney, but if I was I’d want to be just like him,” said Rep. Alma Adams, D-Guilford and chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus. “Henry Frye is a trailblazer for all of us who have chosen to run and serve. He represented us in the legislative and judicial branches. He’s done a tremendous job.”

The Sanford Hunt Frye Dinner is one of the most popular NCDP events, with more than 500 people attending each year to listen to tributes to the statesmen who have inspired generations of Democrats to use their lives to serve others in their communities.

For additional information, visit http://www.ncdp.org.