WILSON, N.C.--Newly-inaugurated Mayor Carlton Stevens said he wants young people in particular to see they too can become civic leaders.
- Carlton Stevens was sworn in as mayor of Wilson on Thursday
- Stevens is the city's first black mayor
- He wants to attract living-wage jobs to the area
Carlton Stevens was sworn in as mayor on Thursday. He is the first black mayor ever elected in the seat of Wilson County, where roughly half the inhabitants are African-American.
Stevens grew up in poverty, an experience some 23 percent of the city's residents share, according to census data. He served for four years in the U.S. Army and later became a middle school teacher and principal before taking over the family funeral home business.
Stevens said his status as the town's first black mayor is noteworthy but the larger story is the example it sets, particularly for people from underprivileged backgrounds.
“What's more important to me is the fact that I have opened the eyes to so many different young people that, regardless of where you come from, what you look like, you can do whatever you want to do if you just put your mind to it,” he said.
Stevens said he has already gotten a lot of positive feedback from young voters. He said a young man recently told him he wants to study political science in college as a result of Stevens' success.
Stevens' campaign emphasized economic development and fighting the opioid epidemic. He said he wants to attract jobs that pay a living wage and are attainable for people with a two-year or a technical degree.
On the anti-drug front, he said he ultimately wants to open a drug abuse treatment clinic in town to bring such services closer to home.