Newly elected Salisbury city council member Gemale Black is excited for his new job.
Gemale Black is the newest elected council member of the Salisbury City Council, but he is also an outdoorsman, new fiancé and Recipe frequenter. After previous unsuccessful campaigns, Black is excited to step into the role and use his experience in Salisbury.
Black was born and raised in Salisbury, only going away for college at Winston-Salem State University where he got a degree in justice studies. As a family-oriented man, he wanted to be close to family. His parents, twin sister and two brothers all live in Salisbury. He also has three daughters, with one living in town.
“I am very very family-oriented,” Black said.
He got engaged to his fiancé three weeks ago, and they are planning to get married in March. He is a religious man and attends Promise City Church.
Professionally, he is a middle school outreach specialist with the Rowan County Crosby Scholars Community Partnership, which he has done for almost a year. He is passionate about working with kids to push them toward the future.
“I enjoy helping them,” Black said. “Some, they know what they want to do, and we definitely try to align them to have college access. Then, the ones that we are trying to get right, we put them in line to build that career and college access.”
Beyond his paid work, he has a laundry list of community involvement. He is the president of the local chapter of the NAACP and has been since 2017. He is also on the boards of the Terrie Hess House, Next Generation Academy, Housing Advisory Commission and Family First. He is also on the Police Foundation Board and Police Chief Advisory Board.
“My life is to serve. I love to serve and help people,” Black said. ” I enjoy each and everyone of them. They are a close part of my life and my heart.”
When he is not working, he likes to be outside. He plays in the city kickball league and gets very competitive by his own admission. He can often be found getting food at Recipe. His favorite spot to walk around in town is Bell Tower Green.
“To be able to see that space grow, the way it has grown, is just tremendous. We have seen an old bank that was there that was torn down to a black, perfect parking lot, where we were able to have a Juneteenth celebration, to now being able to see a whole park. You see all walks of life. It’s a beautiful thing,” Black said.
Looking toward his time in the council, he is initially looking forward to working with the existing council members to learn more of the intricacies of council projects that have been ongoing.
“I am definitely looking forward to working with Susan Kluttz. The experience she has is unreal, and to understand her outlook on things. Harry McLaughlin. I’m looking forward to listening to his business perspective and how we can help bring more affordable housing. Even, Carlton Jackson with the life legacies that he’s built in the West End,” Black said.
He hopes to continue to keep steady communication with the public to keep them aware of the council projects and continue getting feedback from the public. He thinks he can bring a younger perspective to the council.
“I’m a person that believes in relationships and partnerships,” Black said. “We can work together in any form and fashion. So, we may agree to disagree, but that’s OK. At the end of the day, if we have that community agenda mindset, the city will be able to thrive.”
He addressed the fact that he will be the youngest person on the council at the age of 36.
“I’m young, but experienced. I’m a voice that I don’t want to say we are missing, but I’m the voice of an everyday person. I’m still gonna be Gemale Black,” he said. “I may be 36, but I’m a well-rounded 36.”
