Just in time for the election, the Kinston Teens are hosting the “Ballots and Balance” event.

KINSTON, NC (WITN) – With the general election approaching, Kinston Teens, a nonprofit organization, is focusing on engaging young leaders in the community through its Ballots and Balance event.

The event was hosted at Rochelle Middle School in collaboration with the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective.

The event featured powerful music by Afro-Latino fusion artist and activist Taína Asili, spoken word by award-winning poet and hip-hop artist Dasan Ahanu, who is also the cultural organizing director of the NC Climate Justice Collective.

Dance performances by the local dance group Stage LYFE kicked off the event.

“Kinston Teens takes a truly creative and engaging approach to civic engagement and democracy,” said Chris Suggs, executive director of Kinston Teens. “We host events like this to engage people and meet them where they are. In community centers, in school halls, we are talking about the importance of not just this election, but the issues that are on the ballot.”

Founded in 2024, Kinston Teens also celebrated its 10th anniversary with an event that brought together members of the community, young and old, to highlight the importance of voting.

“The work of the Kinston teens truly proves that politics is local,” Suggs said. “Yes, the presidential election is really important and we are talking about these issues tonight too. But it’s also important who sits on your local county commission’s board and oversees your health department and local environmental policies. Or who sits on your city council and who funds your police and your road and storm warning infrastructure.”

Kinston Teens, in collaboration with the North Carolina Climate Justice Collective, is using proceeds from Thursday’s Ballots and Balance event to support its partner organization Hood Huggers International in Asheville, which was impacted by the hurricane.

They encourage anyone interested in getting involved in the community and voting in this year’s election to visit Kinstonteens.org

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