Michelle’s Deep Roots
Michelle Burton was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. Her mother’s family was an active union family—her grandfather was proudly a member of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters, the first all-Black union organized in the United States, and her uncle was a union leader in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). When the Chicago Teachers Union went on strike twice while she was in elementary school, she had the opportunity to observe firsthand how unions were able to push for public school workers to be paid livable wages and for better working conditions.
The Burtons’ roots also run deep in North Carolina, where fighting for racial and social justice was a core Burton value. Michelle’s father was born and raised in North Carolina, and her grandparents and great-uncle were leaders with the North Carolina NAACP. Her father was among the first Black students to integrate The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the first Black student to graduate from the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Because of her dad’s trailblazing leadership, Michelle was able to attend UNC herself, majoring in Speech Communication.
Michelle’s Call to Service
Michelle went into education because she was inspired by her grandmother, a public school teacher, who spent the majority of her forty-year teaching career educating first and second graders in segregated schools in Cumberland County. Michelle received a scholarship to attend North Carolina Central University School of Library and Information Science and became certified to teach School Library Media so that she could bring the joy of literacy to kids.
Michelle’s education activism and organizing started in 2013 when the North Carolina General Assembly began to strip away funding from public schools. As the gains that North Carolina had made in public education began to dwindle, Michelle decided to become more involved with the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) to fight for the public schools our students deserve.
Michelle Burton is running for Durham County Commissioner to use her extensive knowledge of public education and skills as a labor organizer to support the Durham community at the countywide level. Michelle will advocate for fully funded public schools, community wellness, affordable housing, and an economy for all.