Feature Stories
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Black History of Charlotte Part 1: The White Supremacist Response to Reconstruction
The following is the first in a five-part history of Black culture in Charlotte. Stay tuned for the parts in upcoming issues. On October 4, 1891, Rev. Dr. Daniel Jackson Sanders ascended the pulpit at the Biddle University chapel to deliver his first sermon as Biddle’s president. He chose his…
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On 30th Anniversary of the Murder of Kim Thomas, Loved Ones Still Have No Closure
To mark the 30th anniversary of the murder of Kim Thomas, her family and friends have come together to honor Kim’s life, help keep her memory alive, and find justice for her. Our new website whokilledkimthomas.com will be a central repository for remembrances of Kim, material related to the murder…
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Former Black Novant Health Tech Describes Racial Harassment
David Johnson started working as a contractor on a project helping Novant Health transition over to the EPIC medical records system in the Charlotte area in March 2013. The contracting gig turned into a job offer from the Winston-Salem-based non-profit hospital system for a position as an end-user computing analyst…
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Why Charlotte Will Ban Alcohol Sales After 10 P.M.
In a move designed to stem the spread of COVID-19, Charlotte and surrounding towns will soon ban alcohol sales after 10 p.m., Mecklenburg County Manager Dena Diorio told city and county officials in an email Wednesday morning. The measure will ban alcohol sales after 10 p.m. in Charlotte, Davidson, Matthews,…
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Amelie’s French Bakery Faces Allegations of Mistreatment, Racist Policies
Former employees and activists likely left a sour taste in the mouth of Amelie’s French Bakery ownership on Saturday, July 11, when dozens of attendees showed up with protest signs in the parking lot of the North Davidson Street complex to call on the establishment to change policies and address…
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Wheels for Equality Evolves From a Bike Squad That Wanted to Help
It was only a mile or so into my two-mile ride from NoDa to First Ward Park to meet with the founder of Wheels for Equality that I began to think maybe an immersive approach to this story wasn’t the right idea. I hadn’t ridden a bike in quite some…
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City Council Approves Budget with Motion Prohibiting Tear Gas Spending
Charlotte City Council on Monday approved a new budget for the fiscal year 2021, including an added motion from council member Braxton Winston that will prohibit police spending on maintaining the department’s stock of chemical agents used to disperse protesting crowds or buy any new ones. Winston began publicly pushing…
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Charlotte Jail Support Serves as Supply Hub for Protesters and Community
Judging by the facial expression of the young man with dreadlocks and a personal property bag in his hand, he was not expecting a standing ovation upon his release from the Mecklenburg County Detention Center on a Saturday afternoon, but that’s what Charlotte Uprising’s new Jail Support group is for.…
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Charlotte Protests Show Different Approaches to Movement for Black Lives
Kass Ottley was already in bed when things started to go bad on the first night of Charlotte protests. Ottley, founder of Seeking Justice CLT, has been a community organizer in Charlotte for 10 years, and from the moment she heard about a protest planned in front of the CMPD…
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Child Immunization Rates Dip During COVID-19 Pandemic
When Kim Wilson got pregnant three years ago, she joined an online community group for expectant and new moms. Members shared advice and offered support with few disagreements, except when the discussion turned to child immunization. Wilson recalls some moms being dead set against vaccinating their children, having bought into…
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County Offers Assistance for Small Businesses with New Toolkit
Mecklenburg County’s Business Leaders Roundtable announced the launch of an industry-specific toolkit on Wednesday that offers assistance for small-business owners looking to safely reopen their business during Phase 2 of Gov. Cooper’s plan to reopen the state. Following up on the county’s first toolkit for local small-business owners, released earlier…
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RNC in Question as Local Leaders Respond to Trump Threats
As Gov. Roy Cooper’s administration continues rolling out phases of a plan to reopen North Carolina, the World Health Organization warned of a “second peak” in areas where safety protocols are being rolled back. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump kicked off Memorial Day by calling on Cooper to make a nearly…
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Charlotte Needle Exchange Goes Mobile as Overdoses Spike
As COVID-19 descended upon the Charlotte area in early March and stay-at-home orders loomed, staff members with the Queen City Needle Exchange (QCNE) saw a tough road ahead for their program’s participants. The group, run by the Charlotte-based Center for Prevention Services, curbs risks for drug users by providing safe…
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Local Business Owners Make Tough Decisions As County Reopens
If there’s one essential message that came out of the virtual May 11 meeting of the COVID-19 Business Leaders Roundtable, which calls on local business owners and leaders to build out the best way to implement Phase One of Gov. Cooper’s plan to reopen North Carolina, it’s this one: Masks…
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Fall Semester Schedule Sparks Backlash from UNC Charlotte Students
UNC Charlotte looks to be going forward with a new fall semester schedule despite backlash from its student body. On May 4, Chancellor Philip Dubois announced that the Fall 2020 semester will begin on Labor Day, Sept. 7, two weeks after the planned start date of Aug. 24. Dubois instated…
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New Emergency Homeless Shelter Breaks Ground in North Charlotte
The recently merged Men’s Shelter of Charlotte and Urban Ministry Center (MSUMC) broke ground on a new emergency homeless shelter this week, a $4.4 million project that will replace the current shelter located on Statesville Avenue. Crews were able to begin construction this week after receiving a $1 million gift…
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