Black Asheville town-hall at YMI connects voters with City Council, NC-11 candidates

Three moderated town halls at the historic YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St., brought City Council and U.S. Congress NC-11 candidates before Black Asheville voters and the broader Buncombe community during a Feb. 16–18 run ahead of the March 3 primary. The Urban News reported that "local area residents participated in three events held in Asheville at the YMI," and organizers framed the series as centering Black voters while welcoming the wider community.

Organizers described the forums as structured, comparable encounters. ExploreAsheville called it "a four-night public forum created to foster direct, accountable dialogue between candidates for elected office and the communities they seek to represent," and its event copy said "each candidate will be given equal time and asked the same questions, ensuring a fair and transparent forum that allows voters to leave informed and confident in their choices." The Congress night listing on ExploreAsheville specified topics including healthcare access, housing affordability, economic opportunity, public safety, education, infrastructure, and the role of the federal government in supporting local communities.

YMI’s event pages identified two nights focused on Asheville City Council - labeled City Council Part 1 and Part 2 - followed by a Congress night for NC-11 candidates. YMI’s promotional language invited community participation: "Join local Black-led organizations, as we convene and participate in Black Asheville Town Halls! Over a three-day period, local activists will invite folks running for city council and Congress NC 11!" The venue page also emphasized access logistics: "No Registration is necessary. Please come prepared with your questions."

Public coverage and media credits noted local production of session recordings. The Urban News credited "Videos by The People’s Place AVL," and Yahoo/WSPA included the town halls in a broader slate of YMI Black History Month programming that ranged from a genealogy workshop to a black history brunch and learn and performances by Kelle Jolly, Derrick Gardner, and the Will Boyd Project.

Sources diverge on the series length: ExploreAsheville uses the term "four-night public forum" while YMI and The Urban News explicitly reference three events in Asheville on Feb. 16, 17, and 18. The discrepancy remains in available listings even as all sources place the forums at YMI and tie them to voter engagement ahead of the March 3 primary.

The town halls took place against YMI’s institutional backdrop; Yahoo/WSPA highlighted that the YMI, originally named the Young Men’s Institute, is marking its 133rd year, recalling founders and leaders such as Mr. Isaac Dixon, the first person of color appointed to the Asheville city school board, and Dr. Edward Stevens, principal of Asheville’s first public school for African-American students. Materials supplied to the press do not list participating candidates, moderators, or attendance figures; videos credited to The People’s Place AVL may provide session recordings for viewers seeking candidate remarks.