Author: Judaea Ingram

  By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian Fireworks burst across the sky last month as Americans celebrated Independence Day. For many, the crackling explosions meant joy, tradition, freedom. For a 31-year-old Haitian woman living in Florida, they sounded like something else entirely: the gunfire she spent years trying to survive. Before she fled Haiti in 2021, falling asleep to gunshots was routine. Violence was the background noise of her

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian Months after the Civil War ended and slavery was abolished, newly freed Black North Carolinians faced a difficult question: What would freedom truly mean? For more than 100 Black leaders who gathered in Raleigh in 1865, the answer was clear. Freedom had to include education, political representation, equal protection under the law and the ability to fully participate in society. Their demands became

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Draped in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.'s signature crimson and cream colors, adorned with strands of pearls and the founding year "1913" across its doors, NASCAR's first-ever Delta Sigma Theta-themed show car turned heads at the sorority's 2026 South Atlantic Regional Conference in Charlotte. The custom vehicle marked the first activation of its kind between NASCAR and a Divine Nine organization. Designed by Camilla Wilkins-Bowens, a NASCAR

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian RALEIGH, N.C. - From neighborhood markets to award-winning restaurants, Black-owned businesses have long been a cornerstone of North Carolina's economy and culture. As August marks Black Business Month, communities across the state are recognizing the entrepreneurs whose businesses continue to create jobs, preserve culture and invest in local neighborhoods. Black Business Month, established in 2004 by historian John William Templeton and engineer Frederick

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian LAS VEGAS - Every summer, the NBA Summer League becomes a proving ground for players fighting to earn a roster spot and extend their professional careers. For former Winston-Salem State University standout Javonte Cooke, it has become another opportunity to prove that talent from historically Black colleges and universities belongs on basketball's biggest stage. Cooke, who has continued to build his professional career

  By Torrie Walker Special To The Carolinian You walk down the street and familiar faces greet you from every direction. Someone waves from across the sidewalk. The smell of fried catfish drifts from Bell's Restaurant as people gather inside for dinner. Down the street, a crowd begins to form outside the Roxy Theatre, eager to see the latest film. The neighborhood is alive with conversation, music and movement. This

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian RALEIGH, N.C. - One week after a chaotic night in downtown Raleigh left several people injured and raised concerns about large gatherings in the city, residents returned to the area Saturday for a celebration focused on community, culture and connection. Raleigh's All-American Summer Festival transformed City Plaza into a day of family-friendly entertainment, featuring food trucks, carnival games, live music and activities for

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian RALEIGH, N.C. - History is often remembered through major events and well-known figures. At the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, a new exhibition instead turns the spotlight on the bookstores, family businesses, neighborhoods and everyday people whose perseverance helped shape Black life across North Carolina. Opening July 2 and on view through Feb. 27, 2027, Community Stories: Sustaining North Carolina's Black Heritage

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian For many families across the Triangle, the Fourth of July meant backyard cookouts, parades and fireworks. For others, the holiday was spent beside incubators and hospital bassinets, celebrating milestones far different from those planned. At WakeMed Raleigh Campus and UNC Health Rex, nurses helped make Independence Day a little brighter for families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit by dressing their

By Judaea Ingram Special To The Carolinian PEMBROKE, N.C. - Thousands of Lumbee citizens and visitors from across North Carolina and beyond are returning to Pembroke this week as the 57th Annual Lumbee Homecoming transforms the community into a celebration of Native American heritage, family traditions and cultural pride. Running from June 26 through July 4, the nine-day celebration is recognized as one of the largest and most anticipated Native