ANSON COUNTY, N.C. — For Cynthia Wallace, the political bug has always been there.
“My dad became the first African American elected to our county commission in my hometown,” she shared with a smile.
After moving to Charlotte in 2006, the Springfield, Georgia native decided to run for office herself in 2020. Wallace became the Democratic nominee for North Carolina’s 9th congressional district. At that point, she had more than a decade of local political work under her belt.
“I had an opportunity to really reflect... on what direction did I want my life to go in,” Wallace reflected. “My next direction, regardless of the outcome of that election, was going to be in service.”
While she didn’t win the race, she said she decided to stick to her promise.
In 2021, she co-founded New Rural Project with Helen Probst Mills. The nonprofit focuses on seven North Carolina counties, including Union and Anson. They work to engage young and marginalized residents in these rural areas by getting them out to vote.
North Carolina has the second-highest rural population in the country, according to the Associated Press.
“We said from day one that our work must begin and end with listening. Listening helps us inform how we can work with the community to increase electoral and civic and engagement,” Wallace stated.
She said a big focus is people between the ages of 18 and 40 years old because she admits they are the hardest population to reach.
“One of the things we decided to do after talking to the community is to start our barbershop conversation series,” Wallace explained.
She said these events are a way to educate and listen.
“We know one of the opportunities that holds people back from voting is even understanding basic civics,” Wallace mentioned.
Wallace said their work doesn’t start during an election year. They are continuously doing town halls, canvassing, and partnering with food pantries and other nonprofits.
“In February in Anson County we hosted a community health fair. We had navigators that could explain to folks how they could qualify and go through the process to get Medicaid,” Wallace explained. “The programs and the things we do don’t stop because it’s 2022 or 2024.”
Contact Nick Sturdivant at nsturdiva1@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.