Youth Voices to Take the Mic at Upcoming Candidate Forum on Oct. 9th

An upcoming community candidate forum will feature a special addition this year: questions from local students. Two high schoolers from Lexington Senior High School, Collin Weeks and Aaron Holmes, will take part in the event by presenting questions developed by their peers — a reminder that the next generation isn’t just watching politics unfold, they’re stepping into it.

The forum, hosted in partnership with Davidson Local extends heartfelt thanks to the following partners and organizations for their support in hosting the community forum:

The Lexington Area Chamber of Commerce
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Omicron Psi Omega Chapter
Lexington (NC) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Tau Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Davidson County NAACP, Lexington Branch
Pastor Darrell Thomas and Union Baptist Church

The forum will take place on Thursday, October 9, at 6 p.m. at Union Baptist Church. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Hometown voice Willie Edwards will serve as the evening’s moderator.

The student representatives will introduce themselves and deliver questions on behalf of their classmates — giving young voices a seat at the table in local decision-making. “It’s important that our students see civic engagement up close,” said one of the organizers. “Our youth are the future, and forums like this show them that their voices matter now, not someday.”

In an effort to promote fairness, candidates will not have advance access to the questions. The goal, organizers say, is to foster authentic, unrehearsed dialogue about the issues that matter most to the community — from public safety and education to housing and economic opportunity.

Davidson Local will be on site at 5:30 p.m. to livestream the event on Facebook for those unable to attend in person