Opinion
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OPINION: Gov. Stein Should Veto Bill That Gives More Power to Hyper-Partisan Chief Justice Paul Newby
Before the far-right flank of the state legislature went home to focus on their reelection campaigns, they passed two more bills to give their friends more power. Many folks have heard of House Bill 958, which would shorten early voting and give State Auditor Dave Boliek and his partisan election…
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OPINION: North Carolina Just Closed the Door on My Business and Thousands Like It
In July, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a state budget. While there has been plenty of discussion around teacher pay raises and whether Charlotte will have to pay for canceling the I-77 toll lane project, not much has been said about the fact that the General Assembly quietly abolished…
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OPINION: Fight the Duke Energy Rate Hike While There’s Still Time
Summers in North Carolina are hot and sticky, making air conditioning an essential need, not a luxury. We depend on it to keep our homes, families and food cool. But as summer temperatures soar, our electricity provider, Duke Energy Carolinas, is pursuing a rate increase that would make air conditioning…
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ESSAY: Why Community Organizing Is Front of Mind This Fourth of July
I arrived at my neighborhood meeting a little late, but that didn’t seem to surprise anyone. I took a seat and glanced at the agenda written in marker on butcher paper. Tonight’s topics: Neighborhood newsletter, traffic on Boyd Street, illegal dumping concerns, affordable housing conversation and the upcoming potluck. Over…
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LaMelo Ball Trade Shocks Fanbase Just as Things Were Looking Up
“Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?” That was the feeling that permeated throughout the Spectrum Center Thursday as the Charlotte Hornets introduced their two new players from the first round of Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Nobody cared. Right after Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jeff Peterson introduced the two players…
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ESSAY: Juneteenth Is My Fourth of July
Juneteenth is my Fourth of July. It comes with all my favorite things: barbecues, commemorations, drum circles, and elders standing up on stages with kente cloth and canes. I love it all. It’s my day of remembrance. I celebrate Juneteenth like I personally delivered the 1865 message of freedom to…
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ESSAY: In Georgia’s Federal Detention Center, I Saw the Real Immigration ‘Crisis’
The first thing I packed for the federal detention center in Stewart County, Georgia, was hope. The night before my trip to the private federal detention center in rural Georgia, I stood in front of my closet thinking about what my friend Suzy Geronimo might want to wear when she…
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OPINION: The San Diego Mosque Shooting Makes White Supremacy Hard to Ignore
Every time Muslims are murdered in this country, America performs the same hollow ritual. Politicians offer condolences. News anchors suddenly discover Islamophobia exists. People post statements about unity and tolerance. Then the news cycle moves on while the conditions that created the violence remain completely intact. As a Black Muslim…
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OPINION: To the Kid With More Heart Than Virginia Foxx
A Greensboro fourth grader named Christian wrote to his member of Congress, US Rep. Virginia Foxx, a Republican representing North Carolina’s 5th congressional district. She responded by saying he must have been “indoctrinated.” Jacob Brooks, who lives in the district, has a few words for the boy — and for…
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OPINION: A Duke Energy Rate Increase Would Hit Families Like Mine the Hardest
Last year, my fiancé and I were forced to live without electricity because we simply could not afford our utility bill. We had to stay with our grandmother for a week until the next pay period. No working family in America should have to live like that, in the richest…
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OPINION: Targeting ‘DEI’ Initiatives Is Costing Life-Saving Programs and Research
Dr. Charity Oyedegi, a Duke University hematologist and researcher who focuses on sickle cell disease, had her five-year, $750,000 NIH grant to improve care for sickle cell disease canceled last year by Trump administration executive orders that targeted “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” (DEI) initiatives. She is now using a patchwork…
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ESSAY: Encouraging the Whole Truth on César Chavez Day
A decade ago, when I was teaching fourth grade in Apex, North Carolina, my students were preparing for a wax museum project. Each of them had to choose a historical figure, research their life, and then “become” that person for a day. I remember reviewing the list of approved figures…
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OPINION: Restricting Voter Registration Access Punishes NC Voters
Following a successful primary election with energetic voter participation all over the state, we expect voters to be even more eager to make their voice heard in the fall. North Carolinians have a pivotal part to play in the midterms. Troublingly, our State Board of Elections is working to undermine…
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Can Involuntary Outpatient Commitment Offer a Path Forward for Iryna’s Law?
The recent tragic murders of Iryna Zarutska and Zoe Welsh highlight the limitations of the public mental health and public safety systems in managing persons with concurrent mental health and criminal legal problems. Two men with serious mental health conditions and criminal legal involvement committed tragic crimes that we hope…
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ESSAY: Building Bridges in a Divided World Starts Close to Home
On weekday mornings across Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, some parents now pause at the door. Do they send their children to school, or keep them home? Some workers take longer routes to jobs they have held for years. Some congregants hesitate before entering houses of worship that once felt unquestionably…
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OPINION: North Carolinians Want Cleaner Energy, Not Dirty, Dangerous Pipelines
The cost of solar and wind power has dropped so much that it is now cheaper than electricity from gas and coal, and solar and wind power is far more reliable. In fact, during recent winter storms, when many gas and coal plants failed, solar and wind kept working. With…
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