Chief Justice Says Her Elevation Brings 'Hope And Promise'

North Carolina's first African American female chief justice says she believes her elevation to the post brings "a lot of hope and promise" to the state and for young people to become whoever they want.

The court system says more than 1,000 people watched in person or in overflow rooms the public swearing-in of Cheri Beasley on Thursday at the Supreme Court.

Gov. Roy Cooper chose Beasley to fill the seat vacated by Chief Justice Mark Martin. Beasley — an associate justice since 2012 — was officially sworn-in on March 1 in a private ceremony.

Thursday's attendees included Henry Frye, who 20 years ago became the state's first black chief justice. Beasley says she'd follow Frye's philosophy of treating the world's problems as opportunities to do what's right and good.