Town hall meeting with members of the SC Legislative Black Caucus at the Canal Street Recreation Center in Myrtle Beach.
/ Lisa Edge
It's been several years since representatives of the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus came to Horry County to talk with the Grand Strand community. There are no members of the caucus who represent Horry County, but leaders say it's still important to reach out to voters in this area. Out of 39 members, about a dozen came down for the town hall meeting.
"By being here they can reach many many people, not just black people, but all people in all walks of life. So absolutely they need to come to Myrtle Beach, and they need to come more often," said Herbert Riley.
Riley is one of many who came to the event. He's interested in seeing the minority community grow in the state. "If we don't find some ways to make this area, this state more attractive to African-Americans and other minorities, we'll lose out in so many different ways, so many different skills, so many different special things that each individual can bring."
Members say the Grand Strand is important to the overall economy of the state and have supported efforts by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
"Tourism is big. I came in this morning on a flight from Jackson, Mississippi loaded with golfers, and there are things the General Assembly did that allowed those golfers to come here," said Representative Gilda Cobb-Hunter who represents Orangeburg County.
Other concerns of those in the audience included bringing jobs to the area and making more people aware of opportunities available to them, like the Workforce Investment Act, a federal job training program.
Cobb-Hunter says bringing down unemployment is at the top of their agenda. "The only important color is green, and if you're poor, you're really going to catch it regardless of skin color."
The controversial voter ID bill was also a topic of discussion. Cobb-Hunter describes it as "voter suppression," but said it's time to move forward.
"Just because they've done it, we, in my opinion, need to stop whining about it. Go about the business of making sure that we get the kind of documentation that our voters are going to need. We've got 12 months between now and next November to get voters registered, regardless of what barriers are put there," she explained.
The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce organized the group's trip to the Grand Strand.
