- Food & Drink
Cook. Swap. Repeat. Ensures Recipes Aren’t Lost to Time
Within the Black community, the expression “We’re losing recipes” serves as a lament that signifies the ways in which Black people literally and figuratively have lost aspects of their culture over time. Figuratively, it could be the inability to gather loved ones for a holiday after a matriarch passes…
Read More » - Arts & Culture
Booked Book Club Highlights Black Authors, Hosts Unique Meetups in Charlotte
With the backdrop of fog settling low over the Queen City skyline on a temperate March morning, a group of about five people gathered beside a pavilion at Independence Park in the Elizabeth neighborhood fervently discussing a book called Capone, part of an urban fiction series written by Jahquel J.…
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Brittani Sheppard’s Oh My Ganache Is Just the Start of a Larger Vision
When much of Charlotte shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic back in March 2020, Brittani Sheppard, a Bank of America teller at the time, went home. At several months pregnant and extremely high risk, she couldn’t be face-to-face with anyone, not even her doctors. While many people were able to…
Read More » - Arts & Culture
New Immersive Theatre Production Tackles Mental Health and Misperceptions
The Reynolds are your typical 21st-century family. Natasha Reynolds, the matriarch, suffers from insomnia and anxiety related to her struggles with unemployment. Her daughter Kasey, a recent graduate of East Mecklenburg High School, feels intense pressure to be perfect going into college. Then there’s Auntie Torie, who’s fully burnt out…
Read More » - News & Opinion
Authors Discuss Black Storytelling at NAACP Convention
The 116th NAACP Convention is in town, having convened on Saturday at the Charlotte Convention Center. That afternoon, I dropped in to hear three Black authors speak at Ink & Inspiration: The Author’s Roundup, a panel highlighting the importance of Black storytelling. Moderated by Sierra Tribble of the Charlotte-based podcast…
Read More » - Food & Drink
Lorem Ipsum Listening Bar Hits Its Stride on Central
Most designers and journalists will recognize the term “lorem ipsum” as dummy text, placed in a space to act as a placeholder while having no specific meaning. For Justin Hazelton, however, it means everything. Opened by Hazelton in November 2023, Lorem Ipsum Listening Bar provides a third space just outside…
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Rashaun Rucker Brings the Black Church to UNC Charlotte in Latest Exhibit
When Yvonne Bynoe was first commissioned to curate a trio of art exhibits for UNC Charlotte, she thought as much about the end as the beginning. Having completed two exhibits in her Southern Black Portraiture series, Bynoe is now on the home stretch, wrapping her run of the final exhibit,…
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La Becky Roe Advocates for Autism Awareness Through Nonprofit Org
It’s said that when there isn’t a seat at the table, it’s up to you to make one. That’s what local autism advocate La Becky Roe did when she founded Let’s Talk About It, an organization that provides advocacy, education and support to folks living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD),…
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CORE K9 Repurposes Ingredients to Cook for Pets
Sometimes loss can inspire the creation of something beautiful. Felicia Cordray and her husband Manuel founded CORE K9 in November 2023, inspired by the loss of their 11-year-old Cane Corso, Dutchess, who had been diagnosed late with lung cancer. Though the Cordrays had kept up with Dutchess’ health, the tumor…
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Drinkless Spring Fest Shows Growth of New Sober Sisters Events Org
Recovery from addiction looks different for everyone, but one thing most people can agree on is that it’s not easy to do alone. It takes a village, as the cliche goes, but it’s up to each individual person to seek that village out. For some people, 12-step programs are an…
Read More » - Arts & Culture
Perrine DeShield-Jenkins Highlights Black Dandyism at the Gantt
When Met Gala organizers announced the annual ball’s 2025 gala theme, Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, last fall, Perrine DeShield-Jenkins had one thought: Charlotte needs something like that. Wearing a navy tie with red flowers, a light blue button up with white pinstripes under a blazer, and dangling pearl earrings, DeShield-Jenkins,…
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Local Production Company Pushing On After Costly Car Wreck
When a car crashed into Kat Martin’s home while she was hosting a Christmas party last December, it was a miracle no one got hurt. However, the loss suffered that night went far beyond the damage done to her home. As co-founder of Mixed Metaphors Productions, an experiential, multimedia theatre…
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Book Scoot Offers One-Stop Shop to Support Local Authors
The Greater Charlotte Annual Book Crawl kicked off on Apr. 1, spanning several Charlotte-area bookstores in a range of municipalities, even crossing state boundaries into South Carolina, with more than 20 indie bookstores offering unique experiences, exclusive promotions and a chance at a literary grand prize for folks who check…
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ClubHaus 704 Is a Custom Car Hub in Gaston County
Long before MTV’s hit show Pimp My Ride brought all the possibilities of custom car fitting to screens across America in the mid-2000s, Damian Peters has been building cars up and fitting them with game systems, TVs, beautiful interiors and stunning paint jobs. He was inspired to get into the…
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Chef Maria Kemp Puts Culinary Spin on Diversity Trainings
On Feb. 21, Republicans in the NC House of Representatives filed House Bill 171, a bill that prohibits state agencies from promoting, supporting, implementing or maintaining workplace diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, policies or initiatives. The introduction of the bill came as little surprise to those who have seen…
Read More » - Columns
Nerve Endings: Don’t Touch Black People’s Hair
I know it will garner eye rolls from some readers, but it must be said: I have the most exemplary baby boy. First of all, he’s adorable and people love to say so. His general shyness when people try to say hello makes this even more true. He’s so chill…
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