William munn, III
I was born and raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, near Fort Bragg, the largest military installation in the world. My social and political perspective have been influenced by Christian faith, and the experiences and lessons passed down from my grandmother, a child of the Great Depression. While the sharecropper’s economy robbed my maternal grandparents of high school diplomas, they pushed their children to finish college and pursue careers in local and state government. The stability and steady advancement these careers provided taught me, however passively at the time, how crucial public sector employment was to the building of the Black middle class. As such, I am a fierce defender of public sector employment, the public good, and those who work to fulfill government’s role in our society.
I am passionately in love with North Carolina. The whisper of a springtime breeze through longleaf pines is one of the most calming experiences known to man. The birth of every new day over the Outer Banks, the golden sunsets sinking into the Blue Ridge mountains, and everything in between make living in the state a complete pleasure. Growing up here has been one of my greatest privileges.
Many more people love North Carolina too. Since I was born, the state has grown from 5.9 million to over 10 million people. This means a changing state socially, economically, and politically. As a researcher and community partner, I get to see the trends both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Naturally, this fascinates me, and that is what this blog is all about.