Eva Clayton to Speak in Asheville
Meet the State’s First African American Congresswoman
Eva Clayton, the first African American woman elected to represent North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives, will be the featured speaker for the 35th Annual Western Gala Democratic Women’s Breakfast to be held October 18, 2014, at the Renaissance Hotel in Asheville.
Before Ms. Clayton’s election, no African American had represented the state since 1901, when Jim Crow laws across the South ensured that only whites could vote or hold office. She served North Carolina’s northeastern 1st District from 1992 until 2003 when she retired. She was a tireless advocate for rural interests and for rights and opportunities for the rural African American community. In 2003 she was appointed Assistant Director-General for the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization.
Susan Wilson, Chair of the Buncombe County Democratic Party Women’s Club, said, “We are pleased to have as a speaker a woman who has played such a significant role in North Carolina’s fight for equal rights and opportunities for all of its citizens.”
Tickets can be ordered by going to the Facebook page for the 35th Annual Gala, Democratic Women’s Breakfast. For more information contact Eileen McMinn at (828) 329-9809 or [email protected].
