The Orange County Board of Commissioners will host a listening session Tuesday night on the issues of policing, racial justice and equity in the county.

The virtual session, which is also a partnership with in partnership with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the Orange County Human Relations Commission, will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The end time flexible depending on the number of speakers. The goal, according to the county, is for leadership to hear resident’s concerns and comments regarding racial justice, equity and treatment in Orange County.

Orange County commissioner Penny Rich spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck about the session. She said it was sparked by the international reaction to the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement.

She said attendees should feel free to share all thoughts, but she also said to not expect for the leadership to respond on Tuesday night.

“It’ll give everybody an opportunity to come on and express their concerns,” Rich said, “and we’ll take those and will respond to them at another time. We’re not going to have a back-and-forth conversation. We have a capacity of 500, so the more people that come speak to us, the better we feel we’re giving everyone that opportunity [to discuss these issues.]”

Rich also said depending on the size of participants, the board may set a time limit to each speaker, similar to a public comment portion of its public business meetings.

Individuals who wish to attend and those who wish to speak may register for the Zoom webinar at the following link.

The session will include a short introduction by the Chair of the Orange County Human Relations Commission. It will then open up for public questions and comments from attendees. Questions and comments will be recorded by the Board of Orange County Commissioners for future discussion and action.

The full agenda for the upcoming listening session can be found on the Orange County government website.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Trayvon Martin, 10 Years Later: Teen’s Death Changes Nation
Written by DEEPTI HAJELA Trayvon Martin’s final night began with a convenience store run, a quick trip for candy and something to drink. It ended in a confrontation with a neighborhood watch volunteer, a shot fired, the 17-year-old dead on the street. It might have been expected to end there — the violent deaths of […]
A Price Tag on Trauma? College Town Weighs Black Reparations
Written by PHILIP MARCELO Professor Edwin Driver arrived in Amherst in 1948 as one of the first Black teachers hired at a flagship state university in the country. But the 23-year-old sociology instructor at what would become the University of Massachusetts Amherst says he was denied pay raises for decades, despite being one of its […]
AP Exclusive: ‘Strike for Black Lives’ to Highlight Racism
A national coalition of labor unions, along with racial and social justice organizations, will stage a mass walkout from work this month, as part of an ongoing reckoning on systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S. Dubbed the “Strike for Black Lives,” tens of thousands of fast food, ride-share, nursing home and airport workers in more […]
Orange County Hires Firm to Review Property Appraisal Practices Amid Tax Revaluation Reform
The Orange County Board of Commissioners approved the hire on Tuesday in the latest step to attempt reforming local appraisals and valuations.
Orange County Sheriff: Paula Floyd Murder Suspect in Local Custody After Extradition to N.C.
UPDATE: The Orange County Sheriff's Office shared an alert on the morning of Apr. 10 saying Matthew Vukmer was now in its office's custody.
Orange County Sheriff: Suspect Captured in Stabbing Death of Hillsborough Woman
Orange County Sheriff’s Office says it has taken 53-year-old Matthew Jared Vukmer into custody. Vukmer is charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 54-year-old Paula Floyd at Vukmer’s Hillsborough home Friday morning. The sheriff’s office says an investigator working with the U.S. Marshals Carolina Regional Fugitive Task Force and the Capital Area […]
Wild Vehicle Pursuit Leaves 2 Orange County Sheriff's Cars Damaged, 2 Charged for Drug Possession
A cross-county vehicle pursuit on Wednesday resulted in two Durham residents facing several felony changes, as well as a pair of damaged Orange County Sheriff's vehicles and Alamance County properties.
Charles Blackwood Earns Election to Fourth Term as Orange County Sheriff Following Primary Win
Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood is poised to earn his fourth term in the role, as he is projected to win Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Blackwood led with 58.41% of the vote in Orange County, compared to Durham County Sheriff’s Office employee and David LaBarre’s 41.59%. The race did not have Republican candidate file in the […]
Traffic Stop by Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Leads to Drug Trafficking Charges
A traffic stop near Hillsborough on Saturday led to an arrest on drug trafficking charges and the seizure of dozens of grams of cocaine.
Sheriff's Office: Moving Truck Hit and Run in Hillsborough Ends With Dramatic Chase, Stop in Greensboro
A Virginia man faces several charges in North Carolina after an extensive vehicle pursuit that began with a hit-and-run case in Orange County. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office shared a release on Monday afternoon detailing the incident from Sunday night. Law enforcement officials were dispatched at 10:20 p.m. to help the Hillsborough Police Department with […]
›