State lawmaker MaryAnn Black remembered as advocate for health, Durham issues
Rep. MaryAnn Black’s fellow state lawmakers and other admirers are remembering the Durham Democrat for her service as a social worker and dedication to health and human services issues.
Black, 76, died March 25. She served on the Durham County Board of Commissioners from 1990 to 2002 before serving in the House since her 2017 appointment to the 29th District seat. She had cancer and was not seeking re-election this year.
Black’s key legislative issues were related to health, and she also served as associate vice president for community relations at Duke Health. In 1994, she was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers.
U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield said in a statement that Black served “with immense passion, tireless dedication and endless grace.”
“A long-time public servant, top medical officer at Duke Medical Center and first female Chair of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce Board, MaryAnn Black was known throughout the city of Durham and the state of North Carolina for breaking barriers, setting high standards and fighting for the needs of the Durham community,” said Butterfield, a Wilson Democrat.
He said her “soul of a social worker poured out into everything she touched.”
U.S. Rep. David Price, a Chapel Hill Democrat, called her a friend.
“MaryAnn was a social worker by temperament and training and took those gifts with her into decades of service with the Durham County Commission, community relations at Duke, and the General Assembly. She served wisely, graciously, and faithfully. Her life has been a blessing to our state, and we will miss her greatly,” Price said in a statement.
Black received her master’s degree in social work from UNC-Chapel Hill and her bachelor’s degree from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina.
She was appointed in 2017 to finish the term of former Rep. Larry Hall, who became secretary of the North Carolina Department of Veterans and Military Affairs. She ran for her first term in 2018.
At a 2018 town hall in Durham, she said she wanted to focus on health-care issues. But those weren’t the only issues she cared about in the Bull City.
Black was the primary sponsor of House Bill 31, which would have allowed Durham Public Schools to provide affordable rental housing to teachers and other employees. At a committee meeting in early 2019, Black talked about the gentrification happening around downtown Durham and how affordable housing could help.
She said the bill would be good for Durham.
“For teachers who don’t make the kind of salaries we’d like them to make, they’re getting priced out of the market,” Black said.
The bill passed the House in April 2019, but in the Senate was referred back to committee.
Other bills sponsored by Black during the 2019 session included a Youth Gun Violence Study Commission, repeal of the death penalty, a task force on aging and a constitutional amendment to raise the state’s minimum wage to $12 and include cost of living adjustments.
Black’s colleagues in state government and local government shared condolences and memories of her and her work.
Gov. Roy Cooper tweeted: “MaryAnn Black was a strong, compassionate leader who spent her life making North Carolinians healthier and better educated. She will be sorely missed by all of us who knew her and called her a friend.”
House Speaker Tim Moore said in a statement Friday that Black “made a powerful difference in the lives of North Carolinians through decades of service.”
“I know that Rep. Black’s friends, family, and neighbors, were as proud to be represented by her in the General Assembly as she dedicated to serving them, and we send her loved ones our deepest condolences for their loss in this difficult time,” Moore said.
North Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Chair Sen. Paul Lowe tweeted from the caucus: “The NCLBC members mourn the loss of our colleague and friend Rep. MaryAnn Black. As her family celebrates her life and legacy, we are thankful for her service to her community of Durham and to the state of North Carolina. Her beautiful spirit will be missed.”
Rep. Marcia Morey, a Durham Democrat, shared photos of the Durham delegation in a public Facebook post, commenting that Black “gave her life to the people of Durham, Duke Health and her son, Jonathan. I will be forever grateful for her calming presence, wisdom and grace. She was a beautiful friend.”
Durham City Council member DeDreana Freeman also shared photos of herself with Black on Facebook, and said: “When such a warm, caring, strong woman like MaryAnn Black goes home, it hits like a ton of bricks just how fragile life and living is. May her soul forever rest in heaven, my prayers go out to her son and her family. I will miss her guidance and support.”
In late 2019, Black announced she would not seek another term. Durham City Council member Vernetta Alston ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and is also unopposed in the general election.
The Democratic Party in Durham will choose someone to appoint to fill out the rest of Black’s term. The General Assembly is due back for its short session on April 28, though it could come back earlier for legislation related to the coronavirus pandemic.
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This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 12:56 PM.
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