Mark Robinson is the first African American to occupy the second highest position in North Carolina government as Lieutenant Governor. Normally electing the first African American to hold a NC Council of State office would be a reason for many to celebrate, especially other African Americans like me. But if you are a woman who believes in bodily autonomy, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or a parent of a child in public school or university, then the positions of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson bring anger and dread rather than joy. Robinson has an enormous amount of power in both the executive and legislative branches of government, but he focuses on subject matters not related to his state-assigned duties. His views are intentionally controversial and offensive, fueling bigotry and hate attacks, which ring loudly throughout many corners of this nation. However, it is the deafening silence from organizations and political party leadership that pounds throughout North Carolina. Don’t get me wrong – a few organizations and leaders have protested Robinson’s offensive statements, but no one is leading the charge against Robinson or his messages since last fall. Why is everyone so quiet?
From the start of his political career, Robinson has been a self-proclaimed “Defender of the Unborn”. OK, Robinson. We get it. You don’t want women to have abortions. Well, women don’t want to be sexually assaulted by our fathers, uncles, husbands, cousins, coworkers, pastors, medical providers, teachers, delivery men, or any known or unknown persons. Robinson’s view holds women solely responsible for getting pregnant while holding women solely accountable for having an abortion. This is ironic, since he has stated he doesn’t believe women should lead and he doesn’t think women should even make decisions about their own bodies. Robinson is running a campaign against abortion, yet a robust agenda against Robinson has not been launched. Not one women’s organization has championed the fall of Mark Robinson. The women’s groups who marched for against abortion bans at Bicentennial Plaza should also march to the Office of the Lt. Governor. Why don’t they?
In recent events, Robinson has doubled down on his stand against the gay and transgendered communities. He stated again while giving a sermon at a church that straight people are ‘superior to’ gay people. He clearly has no respect for transgendered people or non-gender conforming people either. He has taunted the LGBTQ community from church podiums and described the community with similar rhetoric from racist stereotypes. Given that the LGBTQ organizations blocked a massive amount of business opportunities in NC over the “bathroom bill’, it makes no sense to mobilize so productively against HB 2, but not against a person who would do far worse than HB 2 could ever do in NC. Primarily, one group has consistently protested at the Lt Governor’s office and it is not the prominent LGBTQ organizations or LGBTQ legislators. Why is that?
Another of Robinson’s offensive speeches occurred in May 2022 when he spoke at a National Rifle Association prayer breakfast in Texas, where he rejected gun reform just days after an 18-year-old gunman shot and killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers at a school in Uvalde, Texas. Now, his actual duty as he serves on the Board of Education is to defend the safety of schools as stated in the NC General Statute. The NRA publicly stated that Robison was a member and was coming to speak as a member, but the reality is Mark Robinson is not allowed to take off the hat of Lt. Governor. Robinson doesn’t speak from the position of gun safety or preventing gun violence in schools. Rather, he advocates unbridled gun ownership that is free from the responsibility that should lie with owning a weapon. Still, where are the fully executed efforts from gun violence prevention or victims of gun violence organizations?
There are several quandaries with addressing the actions with Robinson. Let’s deal with the most obvious; he is a Black, Republican politician. Most people expect Black politicians to hold a liberal ideology. In fact, the liberal silence has more to do with the fact that white liberals don’t know how to discuss Robinson without employing racist tactics and notions. Or they are afraid to be labeled as racists if they criticize Robinson even a little. One exception is Senator Jeff Jackson, who has spoken about Robinson frequently and without racist tropes. Governor Cooper and a few others have also called Robinson out. Where are the others?
We see Black Democratic politicians following the same quiet political behavior. It began when Democratic Lt. Governor candidate, Yvonne Holley, ran against Mark Robinson. During her statewide debate with Robinson, she never bought up his dangerous views and agenda towards women’s rights or gun control. Instead, statewide voters were met with a common political stance of “not going negative” against a common enemy. Holley doesn’t bear this burden alone. When Robinson publicly stated that “if you have a problem with my views, you should come see me”, many politicians ran to newspapers and radio stations to address his comments about the transgendered community, but they did not go see him. Black leadership has been conditioned not to criticize other Black politicians unless it is in a small non-public setting. But, that still doesn’t explain why the organizations that have missions directly against Robinson’s agenda don’t speak out.
I have come to one solid conclusion. A majority of the organizations receive money from complicated funding sources either nationally or locally. When an organization’s mission conflicts with contributions, board members are guiding Executive Directors to be quiet on him and his agenda. Since people want to remain gainfully employed, an abundance of organizations will lessen their efforts toward stopping in and concentrate their efforts towards aspects that don’t stop the root cause of the ever growing cult of Mark Robinson. In addition, organizations that receive these funds like to avoid controversy in general—unless the controversy is directly connected to their mission. Getting involved in a dispute that can be labeled racist is to be avoided at all costs—even if it means giving a Robinson a free pass. This is unacceptable!
Robinson is raising a lot of money to become our next North Carolina Governor. If we don’t make stopping his sexist, homophobic, trans-phobic, anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant agenda a priority, and get voters’ attention now, then he could be our next Governor. If that happens, there would be no balance to the legislature at all and North Carolina would again be known for having a governor who is an embarrassment. Surely, I have made people uncomfortable with this writing and I hope so because it is going to be difficult to hold Robinson accountable if we don’t first hold our leaders and organizations accountable for allowing Robinson the opportunity to drive his message over the next few years. It is time to put pressure on everyone and question everything.
-Kathy Greggs, NC NOW Vice President of Political Action and Co-founder of the Fayetteville PACT organization
Shortlink: https://wp.me/p22b2e-3Pt
More articles on Mark Robinson:
“The NCGOP’s Lt. Gov. Candidate Apparently Thinks the Coronavirus Is a “Globalist” Conspiracy to Destroy Donald Trump,” 3/27/20, https://indyweek.com/news/northcarolina/ncgop-lieutenant-governor-mark-robinson-coronavirus-globalist/
“Muslim ‘invaders’ and transgender ‘delusion’: Lt. gov. candidate’s posts draw criticism,” 10/10/20, News & Observer, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article246284085.html
“ERIC SOLOMON: Seeking more Hanukkah light and love, not fixing ‘broken’ souls,” 12/10/20, https://www.wral.com/eric-solomon-seeking-more-hanukkah-light-and-love-not-fixing-broken-souls/19421949/
“NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson stands by LGBTQ+ ‘filth’ comments amid calls for resignation,” 10/11/21, Fayetteville Observer, https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/2021/10/11/mark-robinson-nc-lt-gov-defends-lgbtq-filth-comment-controversy/6087697001/
“Robinson Declines Again to Apologize for Anti-LGBTQ Remarks,” 10/12/21, US News, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-carolina/articles/2021-10-12/robinson-declines-again-to-apologize-for-anti-lgbtq-remarks
“Demonstrators, lawmakers to protest Lt. Gov. Robinson’s anti-LGBTQ remarks at Monday afternoon rally,” 10/25/21, https://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2021/10/25/demonstrators-lawmakers-to-protest-lt-gov-robinsons-anti-lgbtq-remarks-at-monday-afternoon-rally/
“Presionan por renuncia de vicegobernador de Carolina del Norte” (Pressing for Lt. Governor of North Carolina to Resign), 10/27/21, Enlace Latino NC (Latin Link NC), https://enlacelatinonc.org/presionan-renuncia-de-vicegobernador-de-carolina-del-norte/ (See translation of this article at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v9wPO5jCoCtpMyCqSKAYuCqGwe5DqA_6Y2gv1WJ7bMI/edit?usp=sharing) Note: Kathy Greggs is in picture in this article.
“North Carolina’s lieutenant governor said straight people are ‘superior’ to gay people,” 11/21/21, Business Insider, https://www.businessinsider.com/north-carolina-lt-gov-said-straight-people-superior-gay-people-2021-11
“NC Lt. Gov. Robinson calls straight couples ‘superior’ to gays in sermon, video shows,” 11/21/21, News & Observer, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article255976122.html
“NC Lieutenant Governor’s selfish appearance at NRA Convention,” 5/31/22, Charlotte Observer, https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/article261866410.html
“In fiery NRA speech, NC Lt. Governor rejects gun reform measures in aftermath of Texas school shooting,” 5/28/22, NC Policy Watch, https://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2022/05/28/in-fiery-nra-speech-nc-lt-governor-rejects-gun-reform-measures-in-aftermath-of-texas-school-shooting/
“Lt. Gov. Robinson speaks at NRA Convention, as differing opinions emerge following mass shootings,” 5/28/22, ABC-11 News, https://abc11.com/nra-convention-lt-govenor-mark-robinson-houston-mass-shootings-gun-control/11904314/
“‘We are called to be led by men,’ NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson says at church,” 6/7/22, https://myfox8.com/news/north-carolina/we-are-called-to-be-led-by-men-nc-lt-gov-mark-robinson-says-at-church/
“North Carolina’s Lieutenant Governor Takes Sexism To Biblical New Low,” 6/7/22, Huffington Post (and includes video of Robinson at church),
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mark-robinson-sexism-women-lead_n_629f5663e4b0b1100a693240
“NC’s Mark Robinson criticized for saying Christians are ‘called to be led by men’,” 6/8/22, News & Observer, https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article262247202.html
Shortlink: https://wp.me/p22b2e-3Pt
North Carolina NOW 
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