HIGH POINT, N.C. — Before Cyril Jefferson ever considered a career in public office, he worked with students whom he believed deserved better than the circumstances they were born into.
As a music teacher, he saw students who were academically gifted, ambitious and supported by their families. He also saw others growing up in historically marginalized neighborhoods that lacked investment.
Jefferson, who spent years working in education and youth development, said those experiences shaped his understanding of government’s responsibility to create opportunities for people…