Mark Robinson
Mark grew up as the 9th of 10 children in Greensboro. His father was an alcoholic who beat his mother. He died when Mark was in the fifth grade, and he was terrified. His father had been the sole provide for their household. Mark remembers sitting on the porch wondering where he'd be in five years. Would he be in a shelter? In foster care? Would he be separated from his brothers and sisters?
A few days after his father died, his mom's friend came by. She explained that now that her husband was gone, his mother could kick her feet up and relax because the government would take care of everything. But that wasn't his mom. As soon as her friend left, Mark's mom got up and walked over to the local university and got a job as a janitor. She had a fifth-grade education and 5 kids to provide for. She chose to clean up for other kids to provide for her own. She didn't just rise to the challenge, she excelled. She gave a sense of calm and purpose to them. From that point on, they always had what they needed - very little of what they wanted, but always what they needed.
Marks mother was and always will be his hero. She showed him what strength and perseverance looked like first hand, and taught him that with faith, and hard work, he could achieve anything.
Those early years of hardship were just the beginning of his struggles. He and his wife have endured a lot. Mark lost not one, but two jobs due to NAFTA. They lost homes, cars, and were even forced into bankruptcy. He remembers lying awake at night wondering how he was going to pay the bills. But he never forgot what his mother taught him, and they never gave up.
Together his wife of over 30 years and he persevered and raised two incredible children. No they have two amazing grandkids.
In 2018 Mark's life changed when he gave a speech to the Greensboro City Council that went viral. A year later he launched his campaign for Lieutenant Governor and when he was elected in 2020 became the first black Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina.
As Lieutenant Governor Mark has had the privilege to work on a lot of issues, but his main focus has been on education. It is a passion of his, and the reason he ran for Lieutenant Governor. He has been a vocal proponent of parents knowing what their children are being taught. He has supported providing opportunities for all students to have an education that best suits them, whether that's in a private school, charter school, home school, or public school. Mark has championed workforce development programs to give students more opportunities for success after high school, and was even able to secure over $11 million in the state budge for apprenticeship programs. He has also been extremely outspoken about ensuring that our schools are safe for students and teachers.
There is so much that we need to address in this state and Mark looks forward to sharing his vision throughout the course of his campaign for Governor.
Cited from: https://markrobinsonfornc.com/meet_mark