Jordan Meadows – The Carolinian Newspaper

Rocky Mount Mayor Pro-Tem Andre Knight

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:04:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A state audit has found that years of mismanagement, weak oversight, and aggressive spending pushed the City of Rocky Mount to the brink of financial collapse, with officials warning that the city’s fiscal trajectory had become “unsustainable” before recent corrective actions were taken.

In a performance audit completed March 9, the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor detailed what it described as “serious financial failures,” including a staggering 78% drop in the city’s cash and investment balances—from roughly $100 million in August 2023 to just $21.8 million by August 2025.

State Auditor Dave Boliek said the findings point to systemic issues in leadership and decision-making:

“OSA’s audit of Rocky Mount has uncovered serious financial failures,” Boliek said. “From the lack of due diligence in hiring the former City Manager, to cycling through five Finance Department directors, it’s clear that Rocky Mount has not been serious about resolving its financial issues.”

The audit was launched after complaints from residents and public concerns raised during City Council meetings. According to Boliek, his office received more inquiries about Rocky Mount than any other government entity since he took office in 2025.

At the center of the report is the hiring of former City Manager Keith Rogers Jr., who auditors say was brought on in March 2023. The audit found no evidence that the City Council conducted independent reference checks before unanimously approving his appointment. Rogers had previously overseen a budget overspend in Dumfries, Virginia.

Auditors concluded that under Rogers’ tenure, city spending surged dramatically while revenues declined. Between fiscal years 2023 and 2025, employee compensation increased by 27%, including a 47% jump in police salaries and a 22% increase for firefighters. At the same time, capital spending ballooned, with a 153% increase in fiscal year 2024 alone. Major expenditures included $17.2 million for land tied to a proposed casino and entertainment complex that has yet to materialize, $11.2 million for the redevelopment of a fire station that far exceeded initial estimates, and millions more for fleet leasing and the purchase of heavy equipment.

The audit found that many of these expenditures were made without adequate financial analysis and, in some cases, without proper City Council approval. Investigators cited evidence that Rogers attempted to bypass council oversight by structuring contracts to fall below approval thresholds. In a separate investigative report, auditors also found that Rogers authorized a $795,500 consulting contract without a formal request for proposals or council involvement; more than $385,000 had already been paid before the contract was terminated.

Auditors found that council members approved budgets without sufficient financial data, missed statutory audit deadlines, and did not hold city management accountable for a lack of transparency. Meanwhile, the city’s finance department experienced significant instability, cycling through five directors in recent years, some of whom lacked local government finance experience. At one point, the city failed to reconcile its checking account for 13 months.

Warnings from the state’s Local Government Commission had gone unheeded: the commission repeatedly designated Rocky Mount a “municipality in financial distress” for three consecutive years.

In response to the crisis, city leaders have taken a series of corrective steps, including cutting positions, scaling back spending, and raising revenues. The city eliminated dozens of full-time jobs—roughly 10% of its workforce—reduced part-time staffing, and implemented utility rate increases of about 15% across services such as electricity, water, and trash collection. For residents, that has translated into higher monthly costs.

“This mess is unfortunately costing local residents,” Boliek said, noting widespread public concern.

At the same time, state leaders have sharply criticized the city’s governance. State Treasurer Brad Briner called the situation “nothing short of financial malpractice,” while Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, speaking as a member of the Local Government Commission, said, “I find the culture to be unworthy of the citizens of Rocky Mount.”

Mayor Sandy Roberson acknowledged the severity of the situation, telling state officials, “We have certainly gotten the memo. We certainly understand the seriousness of this.”

Newly appointed City Manager Elton Daniels and Finance Director Cheryl Spivey have emphasized a shift toward more disciplined financial practices, including conservative revenue projections and outside expertise from state and municipal partners.

The Local Government Commission has stopped short of taking over the city’s finances but has imposed heightened oversight, requiring twice-monthly financial reports. A full state takeover remains a possibility if conditions do not improve—an outcome that would make Rocky Mount the largest municipality in North Carolina history to lose control of its finances.

Alpha South Regional HBCU College Fair in Raleigh

Jordan Meadows — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 13:15:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

The 2026 Alpha South Regional Convention and FOCUS HBCU College Fair brought more than 1,500 students to the Raleigh Convention Center last Thursday. Running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the annual event connected students from across North Carolina with representatives from historically Black colleges and universities throughout the Southeast region of the U.S., offering information on admissions, scholarships, academic programs, and extracurricular opportunities.

In addition to traditional college outreach, the fair featured resources for ACT and SAT preparation, military recruitment, and exposure to programs in band, cheer, arts, and choir. Organizers and partners, including the College Foundation of North Carolina, described the event as one of the largest of its kind in the state, with educators, college presidents, deans, and recruiters all in attendance to guide students through the transition to higher education.

The Raleigh event is part of a broader, growing effort to expand access to HBCUs at a time when such initiatives face increased scrutiny nationwide. The Alpha Phi Alpha-led fair builds on a longstanding mission to connect Black students and other underrepresented groups with institutions that have historically played a critical role in American higher education.

For colleges like Alabama State University, the Raleigh fair represents a key recruiting opportunity in a region where many students may not be familiar with out-of-state HBCUs.

Gregory Clark, the V.P. for Institutional Advancement and President of FAMU's National Alumni Association, said the event has proven to be an effective way to introduce North Carolina students to the school’s academic offerings and campus culture.

“A lot of students here haven’t heard much about Alabama State before they attend this fair,” Clark said. “But once we start talking about our business programs, internships, and the overall experience, you can see that interest build.”

Clark noted that the connections made at previous fairs have already led to increased enrollment.

“Last year, we met several students right here in Raleigh who are now freshmen at Alabama State,” he said. “A couple of them are thriving in the marching band, fully involved on campus, and doing exactly what we hoped they would—finding their place and succeeding.”

The fair also incorporated interactive elements designed to engage students and test their knowledge of HBCU history and culture. Trivia questions—such as how many HBCUs are located in North Carolina or where Martin Luther King Jr. attended college—were used to spark conversation and encourage deeper exploration of historically Black institutions.

The event follows a similar HBCU-focused initiative held earlier in March in Charlotte, where the National Coalition of 100 Black Women hosted a free college fair at First Baptist Church West. That gathering brought together students and families from across the region to explore post-secondary options, including four-year universities and trade schools, while also connecting them with local college and career planning organizations.

The growing network of outreach efforts aimed at strengthening the pipeline between North Carolina students and HBCUs across the country extends far beyond a single day. For students, it offers a chance to envision new possibilities; for colleges, it provides a direct line to prospective applicants; and for communities, it reinforces the enduring importance of HBCUs as engines of opportunity and advancement.

SE Raleigh Community Voices Concerns Over Lack Of Park Input

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:13:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Southeast Raleigh residents are calling out city officials over a series of long-planned parks bond projects that community members say are drifting away from their original vision.

At the center of the dispute are several initiatives tied to the South Park neighborhood, including the John P. “Top” Greene African American Cultural Center, the South Park Heritage Trail, Heritage Plaza, and Phase II of the John Chavis Memorial Park master plan. Residents who have worked on these projects for decades say a lack of transparency and limited public input now threaten both the projects’ integrity and their cultural significance.

“This was supposed to be the heart of the project,” one resident of Southeast

Raleigh said of Heritage Plaza. “It was meant to represent the endurance of those who’ve historically lived there, to remind people and give them an experience of what life was like earlier in this community.”

The conflict traces back to a 2007 neighborhood-led planning effort known as the South Park Heritage Walk Revitalization Strategy. Developed through the South Park-East Raleigh Neighborhood Association (SPERNA) and the Central Citizens Advisory Council, the plan aimed to preserve and highlight the history of the East Raleigh-South Park National Historic District—an area anchored by Shaw University and St. Augustine’s University.

By that time, the district had already been recognized as one of the most prominent historically Black residential areas in Raleigh, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Residents say the revitalization strategy was comprehensive, involving local artists, architects, engineers, and institutions such as North Carolina State University College of Design. The goal was cultural preservation—telling the stories of people and places that shaped the community.

“We were focusing on the stories of Southeast Raleigh,” one resident said. “It’s too big to be general—there needs to be a focus on this area.”

The South Park Archives initiative, first proposed in the late 1990s, was built and maintained by volunteers for years inside the cultural center. Programming and staffing were minimal, according to residents.

Despite those challenges, residents eventually helped secure millions in parks bond funding approved in 2022. Approximately $9 million was allocated for renovations and expansion of the Top Greene Cultural Center, with an additional $3 million designated for the South Park Heritage Trail.

Now, residents argue that the implementation phase has sidelined their input.

“The staff decided how the money would be spent to implement these projects without any community input,” one resident said. “We did all the work—designing the programs, building support, getting public buy-in—yet we’ve never had an opportunity to talk directly with city staff about how the money would actually be used.”

A key frustration is the structure of communication. Concerns must be routed through city staff before reaching administrators or elected officials, creating what some describe as a disconnect between the community and decision-makers.

According to residents, plans now include converting the Top Greene Cultural Center building’s primary meeting space into a recording studio—something they say was never requested or discussed publicly. They argue this would significantly reduce the room’s capacity and eliminate its use for exhibitions and community gatherings.

Other concerns include the removal of a kitchen stove, changes to exhibition space plans, and the elimination of a proposed memorial garden designed to educate visitors about the neighborhood’s history. Residents also worry these changes could undermine the facility’s financial sustainability by reducing its ability to host events and generate rental income.

Beyond any single project, residents say the issue reflects a broader pattern of stalled or incomplete initiatives. Some projects tied to the revitalization strategy have yet to begin, while others remain unfinished.

They also note that turnover on the City Council has created an additional challenge.

“Most of the current council members weren’t here when this started,” one resident said. “They’re not even aware that we’ve already done most of the planning work. We began this with NC State back in 2007 and completed the initial documentation by 2010.”

Some residents have begun reaching out directly to elected officials, including Jonathan Lambert-Melton, in an effort to pause current plans and reopen the process for public input.

“I actually facilitated a meeting with the City Manager, our staff working on the project, and [residents] for next week.” Council Member Melton said via email on Tuesday morning.

As the city moves forward with implementing its parks bond projects, the dispute highlights an ongoing tension between long-term community planning efforts and the realities of municipal decision-making.

ICE Eyes Multiple NC Site For Migrant Detention Centers

Jordan Meadows — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 14:45:00 +0000

The current Rivers Correctional Institute in Winton, NC is closed but is actively maintained, according to its owner The GEO Group. (Aaron Sanchez-Guerra / WUNC News)

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A growing national debate over immigration detention has found a focal point in eastern North Carolina, where federal officials and private prison operators are exploring new sites for expanded Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.

The long-shuttered Rivers Correctional Institution in Hertford County, a 257-acre private prison complex, could soon be repurposed into a detention center for immigrants awaiting deportation. The facility, owned by The GEO Group, closed in 2021 after the Biden administration ended federal contracts with private prisons, citing dangerous conditions that included violence, contraband, and reports of inmate sexual abuse.

Newly released documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union through a Freedom of Information Act request indicate that the company is in negotiations with ICE to reopen the site as a roughly 1,300-bed detention center, part of a broader federal effort to expand immigration detention capacity nationwide.

That expansion effort is backed by significant federal investment, including $45 billion approved by Congress last year to scale up detention infrastructure. As a result, North Carolina has emerged as a key target, with multiple cities and rural communities under consideration for new or expanded ICE operations.

In Hertford County, the proposal has drawn both support and opposition. The closure of Rivers in 2021 resulted in approximately 300 job losses in a region grappling with population decline, and some local officials and residents have expressed interest in reopening the facility to restore employment opportunities.

Those concerns have sparked an unusual wave of public protest in the small town of Ahoskie. Dozens of residents recently gathered at the intersection of First and Academy Streets. The protest, organized in part by local advocacy groups such as The Cultivator, reflects a broader grassroots campaign aimed at preventing the facility’s reopening. Nearby residents, including those from Murfreesboro, have voiced similar objections.

The history of the Rivers facility adds another layer of complexity to the debate. Built on land that was once a cotton plantation belonging to the Meherrin Indian Tribe, the site still contains antebellum-era graves of the Vann family, a legacy that researchers say symbolically ties past systems of exploitation to present-day incarceration practices. The prison previously operated as a Criminal Alien Requirement facility, housing noncitizens serving federal sentences, and its potential transformation into an ICE detention center would mark a continuation of that role under a different legal framework.

In Greensboro, ACLU documents identified the city as a potential site for another detention center. The proposal, submitted by the private firm The Baptiste Group, would convert the former American Hebrew Academy, a 100-acre boarding school campus, into a large-scale detention facility.

In response, city leaders amended zoning regulations to impose stricter requirements on detention facilities, including a mandate that such sites be located at least 2,500 feet away from neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, and parks.

In the rapidly growing town of Cary, the debate has centered less on detention facilities and more on ICE’s potential administrative expansion. Reports that the federal government had leased office space in the area triggered widespread public concern and protests. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht has stated that the town lacks legal authority to prevent such expansion and has cautioned against drawing attention that could invite further federal involvement.

Similar uncertainty surrounds reported plans for a new ICE office in Charlotte, where lease agreements through the U.S. General Services Administration suggest a growing federal presence.

Elsewhere in the state, ICE is reportedly considering additional detention capacity, including a warehouse in Concord, outside Charlotte, that could hold up to 1,500 detainees. The Alamance County Detention Center previously housed ICE detainees until Sheriff Terry Johnson ended the agreement in late 2025, though negotiations are underway to potentially resume cooperation at a nearby former state prison. The New Hanover County Detention Center continues to hold detainees through an arrangement with the U.S. Marshals Service, illustrating the patchwork nature of detention operations across North Carolina.

Beyond dedicated facilities, ICE maintains a network of field offices in Charlotte, Cary, and Hendersonville, each equipped with temporary “hold rooms” that have housed detainees in recent years. Data from the Deportation Data Project shows that these short-term detention spaces were actively used throughout much of 2025.

Additionally, more than 25 local law enforcement agencies in North Carolina have entered into 287(g) agreements with ICE, allowing officers to enforce federal immigration laws and, in some cases, detain individuals on behalf of the agency. These partnerships were further reinforced by the passage of House Bill 318 in 2025, which mandates increased cooperation between local sheriffs and federal immigration authorities.

Textbooks vs. Technology: State Leaders Grapple With N.C.’s Lack Of Teachers

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:28:00 +0000

Screenshot

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Lawmakers on the North Carolina Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee spent Tuesday morning grappling with how best to measure student success, modernize curriculum, and address challenges in the state’s teacher pipeline, with members raising pointed questions about both instructional methods and long-term outcomes.

A recurring theme throughout the meeting was how students are being taught, particularly in early grades.

Rep. David Mills of Union County suggested the state may need to revisit more traditional approaches to instruction.

“We should take a look at going back to textbooks in k-5. I think we have too much choice and flexibility in content…what the concrete vetting of what thinking behind these things are,” Mills said.

But others pushed back on the idea that traditional tools alone reflect how students learn today.

Sen. Gladys A. Robinson of Guilford County questioned whether current reforms align with modern learning styles and national trends.

“Kids aren’t using textbooks. They’re using models and machines, that’s how they learn. I know my grandchildren use all the technology, and that’s how they’re learning. What is the national trend… you’re comparing the recent math proficiency scores with—relative to what?” Robinson said.

Sen. Robinson also raised concerns about implementation, asking, “Where will teachers get the preparation necessary to learn the new curriculum and skills being implemented in the math courses?”

State education officials said districts will have time to adjust, pointing to face-to-face and hybrid options over two full years to allow school systems to develop plans and train teachers on what they described as a “crosswalk,” a tool designed to help educators understand where and how standards are changing across grade levels.

Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction acknowledged that while test scores show some improvement, there is still significant room for growth.

“In mathematics, NC is essentially within the pack of the states—slightly above in 8th grade math. In all aspects, we have potential to grow,” said State Superintendent Mo Green.

Still, lawmakers questioned how those gains are being measured.

Rep. Hugh Blackwell of Burke County raised concerns about relying on year-to-year comparisons of different student groups, noting that broader trends may tell a different story about readiness over time. He pointed to the need to examine outcomes across entire cohorts of students, suggesting that current data reveals declining college readiness the longer students “remain in the system”.

Blackwell also pressed officials on expectations for student achievement in reading.

“Should we expect two thirds of students to be proficient in reading?” he asked. Education officials acknowledged that scores could be improved but did not offer definitive answers during the meeting.

In addition to curriculum and performance, lawmakers also heard a proposal aimed at addressing the state’s ongoing teacher shortage. The organization BEST NC presented its TeachReadyNC plan, which would create up to 3,000 teacher apprenticeships across the state. The initiative is designed to provide structured, paid, on-the-job training for college graduates entering the profession, rather than placing them directly into classrooms under emergency or alternative licenses.

“This could be up to 3,000 teacher apprenticeships for the state of North Carolina, converting people who normally would come in under emergency license without any teacher preparation, instead entering through an apprenticeship of at least one year where they’re learning how to become a teacher for a year before jumping into that deep end of the pool,” said Brenda Berg of BEST NC.

The proposal comes as North Carolina continues to rely heavily on alternatively licensed teachers.

The meeting highlighted a central tension facing state education leaders: how to balance evolving classroom practices with measurable outcomes, while ensuring teachers are adequately prepared to meet changing demands.

Knight Brings History to Life in Exhibit

Jordan Meadows — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:04:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Artist Derwin Knight’s work took center stage last Thursday at the Durham Main County Library, where visitors gathered for a showcase with his distinctive paintings and storytelling.

Born in Long Island, New York, Knight studied at the State University College of New York at Old Westbury before graduating from North Carolina Central University. He joined the military in 1986, and it was during his time stationed in California that he first developed an interest in art, particularly glass painting.

After moving to High Point in 1996, Knight began refining his craft with the help of his sister, Janis Allen.

His work is known for its striking three-dimensional quality, layering imagery in a way that brings scenes vividly to life. Many of his pieces explore themes of religion and African American history, offering both visual depth and cultural reflection.

Knight’s art has been widely recognized and exhibited across North Carolina and beyond. His work has appeared at institutions including the North Carolina Museum of History bookstore, the African American Atelier, North Carolina Central University, the Hayti Heritage Center, Bennett College, Duke University, the North Carolina Museum of Art, North Carolina A&T, and the Congressional Black Caucus in Raleigh.

The Durham showcase offered attendees a chance to experience Knight’s work up close, where the layered glass technique and powerful subject matter created an immersive artistic experience.

Affordable Housing Loopholes Pushing Wake County Tax Hike on Residents

Jordan Meadows — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:37:00 +0000

The NC Court of Appeals ruled in 2013 that Cane Creek Village was entitled to a property tax exemption. (Photo: NC General Assembly Legislative Analysis)

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A growing set of tax incentives meant to encourage development and expand affordable housing in Wake County is now raising alarms among local officials, who say a surge in property tax exemptions could jeopardize funding for schools, public safety, and other essential services.

During a Monday morning meeting of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, Deputy Housing Director Mark Pearlman outlined the complex landscape of housing incentives available to developers, while Tax Administrator Marcus Kinrade warned that one increasingly common strategy is rapidly eroding the county’s tax base.

At the center of the concern is what officials and housing advocates call a “rent-a-nonprofit” structure. Under a 2013 ruling stemming from a North Carolina Court of Appeals case, for-profit developers can qualify for property tax exemptions by transferring a small ownership stake—sometimes as little as 0.1%—to a nonprofit partner, provided the property offers units at or below 80% of the area median income.

Kinrade told commissioners the impact has been significant.

“This is a huge leak in your tax base, and the City of Raleigh’s also,” he said. “Most of these things are occurring in the city, so it’s affecting them even worse than it’s affecting the county.”

The number of exempt properties has nearly doubled in recent years, rising from 66 in 2020 to 136 in 2025. Those exemptions now account for a projected $776 million reduction in taxable property value—equivalent to about $4 million in lost annual revenue. This year alone, the county received roughly 170 applications covering $1.2 billion in property value, which could result in an additional $6.2 million loss.

“If this issue continues to grow,” Kinrade warned, “it could encompass 94 percent of all the multi-family units in Wake County,” potentially removing an estimated $27 billion in value from the tax base and costing as much as $140 million in revenue.

Lower tax revenues mean less funding for public schools, libraries, emergency services, and infrastructure—costs that may ultimately shift to homeowners.

As Janet Cowell put it, “We’d either have to cut services or raise taxes on single-family or townhome-owning residents… or not hire those police, build those fire stations.” She continued, “It’s scary because you can see a train coming down the railroad track at you… That is the General Assembly.”

State lawmakers like Representative Erin Paré of Southern Wake pledged to work toward closing the loophole, while Phil Berger has convened a committee to examine broader property tax concerns. Local officials are also urging reforms that would tighten definitions of affordable housing and require annual reporting to ensure tenants meet income eligibility requirements.

The loophole exists alongside a broader suite of incentives designed to spur housing development. These include Builders Exclusion tax breaks, which allow developers to defer taxes on new residential construction for up to three years and commercial projects for up to five. Developers can also tap into federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Opportunity Zone capital gains incentives, and Brownfields agreements that reduce taxes on redeveloped contaminated sites.

In Raleigh, additional tools such as expedited permitting for subsidized affordable housing and tax increment-style reimbursement programs aim to accelerate development in 2021. City leaders argue these programs are necessary to attract investment and address housing shortages, though critics say they can subsidize projects that would have been built anyway while accelerating gentrification.

Meanwhile, Wake County is also investing in affordable housing through financing mechanisms like the Wake County Opportunity Impact Fund, which partners with Raleigh-based CAHEC Capital. Since 2015, the organization has issued more than $104 million in short-term loans supporting over 60 affordable housing developments, and has helped finance more than 890 communities nationwide since 1992.

Still, even as officials emphasize the need for more affordable housing, the fiscal pressures are mounting. Wake County’s $2.1 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 already includes a property tax increase, following a period in which property values rose by 51% between 2020 and 2024. Commissioners have also had to make tradeoffs, including reducing seed funding for a housing acquisition fund and scaling back planned EMS staffing increases to redirect resources toward schools.

As North Carolina continues without a full state budget, Governor Josh Stein has called on lawmakers to pass a $1.4 billion “critical needs” spending package to support essential services. At the same time, a national housing bill under discussion in Congress—ROAD to Housing Act—could reshape how large developers build rental housing altogether.

“We’re not against affordable housing,” Kinrade said. “But we want it to be in the classic form… not this rent-a-nonprofit structure we think is just taking advantage of taxpayers.”

How Eastern NC Became A Refuge For Runaway Slaves

Jordan Meadows — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:14:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

The Civil War dramatically reshaped the lives of enslaved people in eastern North Carolina, particularly after Union forces captured key coastal towns in 1862. Before the war, the conditions faced by enslaved African Americans in the region were harsh and restrictive.

Union forces launched a campaign to seize the North Carolina coast, with the reluctant approval of President Lincoln, in early 1862. The expedition began in the Outer Banks and moved inland, capturing several key locations, including Roanoke Island, New Bern, Washington, Beaufort, and Morehead City.

The fall of New Bern in particular became a defining moment for enslaved people across eastern North Carolina. News of the Confederate defeat spread quickly through nearby plantations and rural communities, signaling that Union forces now controlled a major stronghold in the region.

As they arrived at Union camps, their legal status was uncertain because under U.S. law, they were still technically considered property. Union commanders initially struggled with how to handle the influx of refugees until they declared escaped enslaved people “contraband of war,” arguing that their labor supported the Confederate war effort and could therefore be seized by the Union army.

The policy allowed Union forces to keep them within military lines and prevented their return to enslavers. By 1862, reports estimated that roughly 10,000 freedpeople had gathered in New Bern and other Union-controlled areas across eastern North Carolina.

These newly freed men and women quickly became active participants in the Union war effort. Across the camps, they helped construct fortifications, cooked for soldiers, cared for the sick, and assisted with the daily operations of military bases. Black men were not initially permitted to serve as soldiers, but many contributed as scouts and spies. Their deep knowledge of the region’s rivers, swamps, and coastal terrain proved invaluable to Union commanders unfamiliar with the landscape.

Freedpeople also began building communities around the Union camps. In and around New Bern, they constructed homes, opened small trade shops, and cultivated garden plots to help feed their families during the war. Education quickly became a priority as well.

In 1862, educator Vincent Colyer established the first formal school for formerly enslaved people in New Bern. Yet African Americans themselves had already begun teaching one another before outside missionaries arrived. Black teachers such as Martha Culling organized schools in contraband camps.

While the Union presence created new opportunities for freedom, the war continued to bring violence and uncertainty. In April 1864, Confederate forces captured Plymouth, North Carolina, and reports soon emerged of a massacre of Black residents and Union supporters following the town’s surrender. Although the exact number of victims remains unknown, the attack sent hundreds of freedpeople fleeing toward the safety of Union-controlled New Bern.

Throughout the war, several refugee communities formed across the North Carolina coast as enslaved people escaped to Union territory. One of the earliest was Hotel De’Afrique near Hatteras Inlet, where enslaved people from the Outer Banks settled in abandoned military barracks after Union forces captured the area in 1861. Similar contraband camps emerged in Washington, Beaufort, and Morehead City as the Union tightened its hold on the coast. By January 1864, nearly 2,500 freedpeople were living in the camp at Beaufort alone.

Out of this network of wartime settlements emerged one of the most enduring communities of freedmen in the state. After the fall of Plymouth, a settlement formed along the Trent River just across from New Bern. Known at the time as the Trent River Settlement, the community grew as freedpeople built homes, churches, and businesses. Over time, it became known as James City.

Wake Co. Board Discusses Progress & The Challenges With Homelessness

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 16:00:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Members of the Wake County Board of Commissioners’ Affordable Housing Committee met Monday morning to review programs aimed at expanding affordable housing and addressing homelessness, including new funding initiatives, partnerships and ongoing planning efforts as the county continues to face rising housing costs and a growing population.

The meeting focused on the work of the Wake County Continuum of Care (CoC), a collaborative network that coordinates housing and services for people experiencing homelessness. It works with county departments, municipalities, and nonprofit partners to connect residents with housing and support services.

Commissioners also shared positive updates about individuals who have been able to move from homelessness into short- or long-term housing through county programs.

A major initiative discussed during the meeting was the Wake County Housing Opportunity Fund, supported by a new $10 million investment. The fund is a 2026 initiative designed to finance affordable housing development, including site acquisition and gap financing for low-income residents. Officials said the program works alongside the county’s Bridge to Home program, which uses $10.5 million to provide services such as housing navigation, financial assistance, and case management.

Bridge to Home is specifically targeted at people experiencing homelessness and offers services such as rental assistance, case management, and connections to healthcare resources.

County officials said emergency services for people without housing are coordinated through the Wake County Continuum of Care, which works with shelters and street outreach teams across the region. Residents who are at risk of losing housing are encouraged to contact Wake Prevent, a program focused on early intervention and prevention. For individuals already experiencing homelessness, officials recommend connecting with Oak City Cares or other partner organizations. Many of the county’s nonprofit partners like Triangle Family Services, are trained to conduct initial assessments and help people access services through the CoC system.

County leaders said they are also working toward a simpler system for people seeking help. Officials discussed plans to develop a single online platform where residents could easily find information about available programs and services.

Commissioner Vickie Adamson said having too many disconnected options can make it harder for people to get help and may lead to confusion or misinformation.

“If we can have one entry point, and let the community know, we’ll be able to help more people,” Adamson said.

Governance of the homeless response system is handled by the Wake County Continuum of Care Governing Board, the lead decision-making and policy-setting body focused on ending homelessness in Wake County. The board coordinates resources, sets strategic priorities, and oversees funding for local housing and service programs while emphasizing a trauma-informed and equitable approach to services.

Officials emphasized the importance of broad representation within the governance structure.

“It’s important to have municipalities represented (on the CoC governance board), but especially the municipalities that may not have housing departments so they can learn and grow, and have input,” said Commissioner Shinicia Thomas.

Commissioners also discussed the role that community organizations and faith groups can play in helping address homelessness.

“I know a lot of churches and religious organizations do a lot of work in our community. How can they get involved in helping their neighbors in this housing initiative for the unsheltered and homeless?” Commissioner Tara S. Waters asked during the meeting.

County officials said faith-based organizations can participate in the Continuum of Care as member organizations and help by volunteering, providing meals, and continuing their own outreach initiatives that connect people with services.

“Faith-based organizations certainly have a place at the table as CoC member organizations,” said Deputy County Manager Duane Holder, who oversees Wake County’s consolidated Health and Human Services agency.

Officials also reviewed the core operational systems that support the county’s homelessness response. These include the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which tracks data on housing services and outcomes and recently completed federal fiscal year 2025 reporting.

Despite those efforts, county data show that approximately 3,400 households are new or returning to homelessness each year. About 92 percent of individuals use shelters for an average of 38 days, and roughly 36 percent of those who exit the system return within six months. Officials estimated that about $24,000 per year is required to end homelessness for one household through housing and support services.

Officials said additional resources will be needed to meet the growing need through targeted investments. Planning for the new housing initiatives will continue over the coming months. County leaders outlined a timeline that included community outreach in February, public comment on a draft plan in March, with a final review and governance vote in April and continued program design and implementation through May of this year. Officials expect a formal launch and rehousing efforts to begin in July.

Earlier this week, Congresswoman Deborah Ross announced $850,000 in federal funding to renovate Second Street Place, a Wake County shelter serving people experiencing homelessness. The shelter, operated by The Bryant Center, will receive accessibility upgrades, showers, and other improvements as part of a broader $13 million package Ross secured for 15 projects across the county. The 98-bed facility connects guests with case management and services aimed at helping them move toward permanent housing.

“These funds help transform a building into something more important—a place of stability, a space that is safe and a place that provides opportunity,” said Vance Haywood, executive director of the Bryant Center.

Local leaders say the challenge is intensified by Wake County’s rapid population growth.

“Our county is at 1.2 million people. We’ve got six people moving in every day, and 25 kids being born every day. This isn’t just a city of Raleigh concern—we work with 11 other municipalities, and we appreciate Congresswoman Ross for helping bring this forward,” said Don Mial, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data shows homelessness increasing in many communities across the country. Wake County has experienced a similar rise. The county’s most recent point-in-time count identified about 1,258 people experiencing homelessness, roughly 27 percent more than the previous year.

First Black Boy Scout Troops in America

Jordan Meadows — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 15:45:00 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Long before the Boy Scouts of America became a nationwide institution, Black communities were already working to bring the ideals of scouting to their youth. In the early twentieth century, African American leaders and volunteers organized some of the first Black Boy Scout troops in the country, helping open opportunities for young people who were frequently excluded from mainstream civic organizations.

Historians say identifying the first Boy Scout troop in the United States is difficult because many early troops formed before the national organization was officially established in 1910. Determining the first Black troop is even more challenging. Outreach to African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos and other minority groups was limited in scouting’s earliest years, and records documenting those troops were often poorly preserved.

Still, one early unit frequently cited as among the first was founded in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in 1911, just one year after the creation of the Boy Scouts of America.

The Elizabeth City troop encountered opposition almost immediately, but it continued meeting and became an important early example of African American participation in the movement. Similar efforts soon emerged in other communities. In 1916, the first council-sponsored Black troop in the South was organized in Louisville, Kentucky. Within a year, four officially recognized Black troops were operating in that city.

Despite these early developments, scouting opportunities for Black youth remained limited for many years. Because the national organization often allowed local councils to set their own policies, many communities refused to admit Black scouts or created separate troops with fewer resources. Some units allowed African American boys to participate but prohibited them from wearing official uniforms or imposed waiting periods before they could join.

Even outside the South, Black Boy Scouts sometimes faced hostility and violence. An account published in the newspaper The Denver Star in October 1913 described how a gang of white youths attacked a group of 75 Black scouts marching in their New York City neighborhood while accompanied by their own fife-and-drum corps. The scouts reportedly defended themselves until the attackers dispersed. In another incident reported by The Evening Star in 1924, men dressed in hoods and robes burned a cross to intimidate a Black troop camping near Philadelphia.

Despite those challenges, the number of Black troops gradually increased. A 1927 report in the Chicago newspaper estimated there were roughly 600 Black Boy Scout troops across the United States, though only 18 of them were located in the South. By 1926 there were at least 248 all-Black troops with nearly 5,000 scouts nationwide, and the number continued to grow in the following decades.

Some of that expansion came from efforts within the national organization to extend scouting to minority communities. Leaders such as Stanley Harris, a white scouting official who later directed the Boy Scouts’ Interracial Service program, worked to promote scouting among African American and Native American youth beginning in the 1920s. Community leaders and volunteers also played a crucial role. In Mansfield, Ohio, for example, black Sunday school teacher Thompson Jackson helped establish Troop No. 7 in 1925 after organizing a group of boys in his church class. Twenty scouts from the troop received their first badges during a ceremony that year.

While the Elizabeth City troop is often recognized as one of the earliest Black Boy Scout units, other troops have also claimed that distinction. An article in the March 1936 issue of Scouting magazine noted that Troop 55 of Brooklyn, New York, believed it was the first African American troop in the country.

As more troops formed, scouting leaders slowly expanded outreach to Black communities. Councils began hiring Black field executives, developing camps specifically for Black troops and encouraging participation in national events. At the 1937 National Jamboree, African American troops from across the country attended, and Black adult leaders participated in national training programs for the first time.

By the end of World War II, the movement had grown significantly. By 1945, more than 3,500 Black Boy Scout troops and nearly 800 Cub Scout packs were operating across the United States. Still, many troops remained segregated for decades. Integration within scouting councils occurred gradually, particularly in the South. In North Carolina, the Old Hickory Council—one of the last segregated Boy Scout councils—did not fully integrate its troops until 1974.

Historic Shepard House at NC Central Turns 100

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 19:50:00 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

In 1925, a home rose on the corner of Fayetteville and Brant Streets in Durham, built for the founder of what would become one of the nation’s most important historically Black universities. One hundred years later, the Dr. James E. Shepard House at North Carolina Central University still stands.

The home was constructed for university founder and first president James E. Shepard and his family after the original president’s residence burned in 1923.

According to university archivist Andre Vann, the house itself was the result of a broad community effort.

“This home, which celebrates its centennial this year, came as a result of a gift and support from Dr. Shepard’s many friends,” Vann said. “Over the next two years they raised funds in both the Black community and white community to have this wonderful house built that stands today as an anchor of what we call Centennial Square.”

The residence, located at 1902 Fayetteville Street, is now the oldest house in the university’s property inventory and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house contains more than 4,000 square feet and includes a main entryway, parlor, dining room, den, two sun porches, four upstairs bedrooms and a basement. Vann noted that the den was Shepard’s favorite room, while the home’s distinctive architecture includes many horizontal design lines inspired by plans associated with famed designer Frank Lloyd Wright.

Beyond its architectural features, the Shepard House played a central role in campus life during the early decades of the university.

“The James Shepard House was a very important and focal point for life here on this campus,” Vann said. “Not only as the home for Dr. Shepard but also for many guests who would come to speak in the B.N. Duke Auditorium.” Among the prominent figures hosted at the home were renowned intellectuals such as W. E. B. Du Bois and Benjamin E. Mays.

The home also served as a gathering place during an era defined by segregation in the South. Vann recalled a historic moment when Eleanor Roosevelt visited the campus and was entertained at the house by university leadership.

“While Jim Crow law was on the books, the university was able to offer opportunities for whites and Blacks to sit together and talk and communicate over food,” Vann said.

Shepard himself, in 1910, founded the National Religious Training School and Chautauqua for the Colored Race, the institution that eventually became North Carolina Central University—the first state-supported liberal arts college for Black students in the nation. An educator, pharmacist, businessman and civil servant, Shepard was also one of the first investors in North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and helped incorporate Mechanics and Farmers Bank, both key institutions of Durham’s historic Black Wall Street.

The Shepard House remained a presidential residence for decades. After Shepard’s death in 1947, the State of North Carolina purchased the home in 1949, and it continued to house university presidents and chancellors until 1974. Leaders including presidents Alfonso Elder and Albert N. Whiting lived there during their tenures. In later years, the building nearly disappeared.

“This house had almost faced demolition on three different occasions,” Vann said. “Each and every time it was alums working with the leaders of the institution who talked about the importance and the need of preserving such a structure.”

Preservation eventually gained momentum under Chancellor Julius L. Chambers and later Chancellor James Ammons. The restoration effort culminated in a major renovation completed in 2004, funded in part by more than $340,000 from the National Park Service along with private donations and alumni support. The project also benefited from the work of renowned Durham architect Phil Freelon, who helped stabilize and preserve portions of the house, including a breakfast nook that had nearly collapsed.

Today, the Shepard House serves as a museum and cultural site featuring exhibits on Shepard’s life and the early history of the university. The interior has been recreated in a 1940s style based on photographs and interviews with Shepard’s descendants and community members. Furnishings include Tiffany-style lamps, period furniture and a player baby grand piano, giving visitors a glimpse of the home as it would have appeared during the height of Shepard’s leadership before his death in 1947.

The home now anchors the university’s Centennial Square, alongside Centennial Gardens and Centennial Chapel, which was dedicated during the school’s 2010 centennial celebration.

“This house serves as a very important anchor for the university, a look at our historical past but also a great opportunity to prospect going forward,” Vann said. “It allows people to feel the spirit of Dr. Shepard and understand the important function of a house like this to the history of North Carolina Central University.”

2nd Annual Raleigh Women’s Market

Jordan Meadows — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 21:18:40 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

The Raleigh Women’s Market returned to downtown Raleigh this month, transforming Moore Square into a place for women-owned businesses, artists and performers from across the Triangle. Held last Sunday afternoon, the event coincided with International Women's Day and was part of the broader celebrations of Women's History Month.

The market featured a curated selection of women-owned and women-led small businesses. Visitors browsed handcrafted goods, artwork and other unique products created by female entrepreneurs while enjoying an atmosphere designed to celebrate women supporting women. In addition to shopping, the event included live performances by female musicians, giving the afternoon a soundtrack of local talent.

Food was also part of the draw, with women-owned food trucks serving a range of dishes to marketgoers throughout the day. Among them were Shawerma Bowl, a Jordanian Mediterranean food truck that serves chicken shawerma, lamb gyro and vegan falafel bowls. Other spots offered fresh halal shawarma and gyros, and Queen Quisines, and fried hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, chicken bites, wings, fries and loaded fries.

The 2nd Annual Raleigh Women’s Market was founded by Bethany Carpenter four years ago in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since moving to the capital city in 2024, it has quickly grown—reflecting the increasing demand for spaces that promote local creators while allowing them to connect directly with their communities.

Attendees also had the opportunity to learn about other programs taking place across the Triangle during Women’s History Month, linking the market to a broader network of events recognizing women’s achievements and contributions, such as the children’s event on rocket science at the Southeast Raleigh library and the 2nd Annual International Women’s Day Expo in Cary.

NC Medicaid Faces $319M Gap as Lawmakers Examine Costs

Jordan Meadows — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:16:09 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

State lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon pressed North Carolina Medicaid officials about rising costs, enrollment trends and funding gaps during a meeting of the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid at the North Carolina General Assembly.

The briefing from officials with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services came as lawmakers prepare to return to Raleigh next month to negotiate a long-delayed state budget and address a projected $319 million shortfall in the Medicaid program. The funding discussion also follows a call from Josh Stein for lawmakers to fast-track a $1.4 billion “critical needs” spending package to cover Medicaid costs and other state obligations.

Medicaid officials began the presentation by outlining the scale of the program, which covers more than three million residents across the state.

“One out of every four North Carolinians is enrolled in Medicaid,” said Melanie Bush, assistant secretary for North Carolina Medicaid. “Two out of every five children in North Carolina are covered through the program.”

Bush added that Medicaid also supports some of the state’s most vulnerable populations, including “three in ten people with disabilities in North Carolina and five in eight people living in nursing facilities.”

“There’s a lot of big numbers in this stack… so I want to talk about who is being impacted,” Bush told lawmakers.

Officials said enrollment surged during the early months of expansion but has now stabilized.

“Enrollment continues its planned normalization following the pandemic-era continuous coverage requirements,” Bush said. “Expansion enrollment has reached a stable plateau at around 700,000.”

Even as enrollment declines slightly, Medicaid spending continues to rise.

Rep. HEATHER RHYNE of Lincoln County asked officials why fewer enrollees still translated to higher costs: “Are they requiring costlier services—the ones still on Medicaid?” Rhyne asked.

Bush responded directly: “Yes.”

She explained that many individuals leaving Medicaid as pandemic coverage rules expired were healthier residents who no longer qualified, leaving a population with more complex needs.

“People who are older and disabled have more complex needs. They are the more expensive population,” Bush said. “Medical inflation in the U.S. is contributing to those costs.”

Families and children account for roughly 79 percent of Medicaid enrollment but represent only 46 percent of total spending. By contrast, older adults and people with disabilities make up about 21 percent of enrollment but drive 54 percent of Medicaid expenditures due to higher-acuity care needs.

Much of the discussion centered on the state’s annual Medicaid “rebase,” a budgeting process that adjusts funding levels based on changes in enrollment, health care usage and inflation. It primarily funds the per-person capitation rates paid to managed care plans that administer benefits.

Although total program costs are projected to decline in fiscal year 2026, state funding requirements are increasing because of changes to federal matching rates and higher utilization of care.

The Medicaid team told lawmakers that $319 million in additional state appropriations is needed to fully fund the program through the end of the current fiscal year. North Carolina has been operating without a new state budget since 2024, continuing under spending levels from the previous plan while negotiations stall over tax policy, raises for state workers and other priorities.

Earlier attempts by the state to manage the Medicaid funding gap included temporary provider rate cuts of 3 to 10 percent in October 2025. Courts later ordered those reductions reversed in December, leaving the underlying budget gap unresolved.

Sen. Jim Burgin of Harnett County asked officials what services were driving the largest increases in Medicaid spending.

“Three drivers of that rising cost is gene therapy, increase in eye services, [and] cost of prescription drugs,” Bush said.

Sen. DeAndrea Cunningham of Charlotte also questioned officials about potential task forces to evaluate Medicaid policy proposals and asked who would appoint members. Bush said similar task forces are used in other states and that the structure in North Carolina could involve either legislative or executive appointments.

Cunningham also raised questions about Medicaid eligibility rules for long-term care, specifically how long individuals must wait after transferring assets before qualifying for coverage. Bush explained that Medicaid enforces a “five-year look-back” period for financial assets.

“If they’re in your possession you may have to pay a penalty for it,” she said.

Medicaid officials outlined several strategies aimed at controlling costs while maintaining coverage. Those include refining payment rates for managed care plans, increasing accountability through performance-based financial withholds and tightening medical loss ratio standards. The program is also expanding pharmaceutical cost controls and value-based payment models for expensive treatments like gene therapies.

Officials said direct negotiations with drug manufacturers generated $2.3 billion in combined state and federal cost avoidance in fiscal year 2025.

North Carolina currently receives a 90 percent federal match for expansion coverage. If that rate were reduced, state analysts estimate the program could face a potential $27 billion loss over 10 years, putting coverage for more than 640,000 residents at risk.

For now, Medicaid officials told lawmakers that enrollment and spending trends are closely tracking projections.

The Southern Black Girls And Women Organization Are Bending Philanthropy Toward Justice

Jordan Meadows — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 12:18:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Since its founding in 2017, the Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium has set out to do one thing: transform the philanthropic landscape for Black girls and women across the South.

In 2017, LaTosha Brown, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, encountered a report from the Southern Rural Black Women’s Initiative showing that Black women and girls received less than one percent of the $4.8 billion in philanthropic investments flowing into the South. Determined to change that narrative, Brown joined with Felicia Lucky of the BlackBelt Community Foundation, Alice Jenkins of the Fund for Southern Communities and Margo Miller of the Appalachian Community Fund. Together, they formed Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium as anchor institutions committed to centering Black girls and women in grantmaking.

To date, the consortium reports awarding more than $11.4 million to over 250 Black women-led organizations and more than 800 girls across its 13-state footprint, including the organization’s Youth Ambassadors program. The program engages young leaders as advocates, helping shape grant funding priorities and inform content for the annual Southern Black Girls conference. In January 2025, Youth Ambassadors from across the 13-state region gathered in Charlotte for a day of learning and collaboration.

“For more than twenty years, I've worked alongside communities and know first-hand that communities of color experience the disproportionate impacts from environmental pollution and climate change,” said Executive Director Chanceé Lundy. “Black women are often on the front lines advocating for justice and building innovative community based solutions with little to no resources."

In 2022, the consortium partnered with Megan Thee Stallion’s Pete and Thomas Foundation to launch the “Joy Is Our Journey Dream Tour,” a monthlong bus tour that created space for Black girls to connect across the South. That same year, the organization hosted its inaugural Black Girls Dream Conference. The Southern Black Girls has since expanded through partnerships with Comic Relief US and Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

The organization recently launched its Environment and Climate Justice Fund, a new grant initiative supporting organizations that advocate for and build solutions around environmental and climate justice impacting Black girls, women and femme-identifying youth across 13 Southern states—including North Carolina. The fund awards grants ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 to underfunded organizations advancing environmental and climate justice.

“Even in difficult times, investing in organizations that center Black girls and women is an act of resistance, imagination, and faith in the future,” said Lundy.

Lundy has helped guide Southern Black Girls into a new era of growth and national recognition. In 2024, she was invited by the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, to engage with leaders and activists on shared challenges around climate change, equity and economic empowerment. The Southern Black Girls’ climate fund opened during Black Climate Week 2026, a national campaign led by The Solutions Project and the NAACP that centers Black communities as hubs of climate innovation and justice.

“By centering joy as both resilience and resistance, Southern Black Girls is building a future in which our communities have the infrastructure, resources, and power to survive and thrive amid environmental pollution and climate change,” Lundy said.

Southern Black Girls also convenes a Wisdom Council to guide its focus on regional and statewide issues affecting Black girls and women. Through its Sage Circle, a monthly session for its network, partners lead conversations aimed at strengthening the broader community. Its Joy Network, hosted on the Mighty Networks platform, serves as a digital hub where Black girls and women across the South can share resources, collaborate and participate in virtual events.

In 2024, the organization launched its “Resistance and Resilience” grant through the Black Girls Defense Fund, offering $2,000 mini-grants to support community-led efforts addressing adultification, dehumanization and violence impacting Black girls.

“There’s a particular kind of calmness in the eye of the storm. There’s a particular kind of calmness when you center yourself back into your own body. I had to recenter myself and be grounded on who I am and what I believe. I believe that love will win,” Brown said. “The South is my home. I love the South. It’s beautiful.”

Through grantmaking, youth leadership development, national partnerships and now environmental and climate justice funding, Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium continues to reshape how philanthropy flows in the South by ensuring that Black girls and women are centered as architects of change.

Free Women of Color Take Center Stage in New NC Exhibit

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 17:30:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A new exhibit from the state archives is shining a light on stories long left in the margins.

Through MosaicNC, an initiative of the North Carolina Office of Archives and History, the state is elevating the voices of free women of color who lived through and helped sustain the American Revolution. The exhibit, led by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, centers on a collection titled North Carolina’s Women of the Revolution: In Their Own Words, with a special focus on “Free Women of Color.” Drawing from Revolutionary War pension applications, the project reveals the lived experiences of women whose contributions to the Patriot cause were historically overlooked.

Contrary to common assumptions about 18th-century North Carolina military policy, Patriot forces were integrated. White men and free men of color served alongside one another in the state militia and Continental Line with no distinction in pay or official status. Prior to the state’s 1835 constitutional revision, all free adult men—regardless of race—were subject to the draft.

While George Washington was hesitant at the "Federal" (Continental) level, the North Carolina militia operated under its own state laws. North Carolina had a relatively large population of Free People of Color, and because they were already "freemen" and taxpayers, North Carolina viewed them as part of the "body politic" obligated to defend the state–Unlike South Carolina or Georgia, which remained terrified of arming Black men until the very end.

Military payrolls and discharge papers rarely noted a soldier’s race, underscoring what historians describe as a bureaucratically colorblind structure during the war. It is often only through later pension applications that researchers can identify a veteran as a man of color.

Behind these soldiers stood wives and families who sustained farms, protected children, and kept communities functioning amid wartime disruption. For free women of color, those responsibilities came with additional layers of vulnerability.

Nearly 250 years after the Revolution, women’s contributions remain less understood than those of their husbands. The pension applications featured in the exhibit offer rare first-person testimony. Although many of these women were largely illiterate and rarely appear elsewhere in the written record, the pension process required them to recount their wartime experiences in detail. These documents reveal women acting as farmers, nurses, refugees, and family guardians. They also expose the obstacles they faced in seeking recognition.

Among the women highlighted at the exhibit is Rachel Locus. While her husband Valentine served as a private in the Continental Line for two years, Rachel cared for their children, grew crops and managed their homestead. After the war, the family settled in Wake County near Lick Creek. In 1801, a group of white men forced their way into the Locus home and abducted two of their children, Absalom and Polly. During the attack, Rachel and Valentine were beaten badly. The abductors likely intended to sell the children into slavery in the Deep South, despite their legal status as free people of color.

Though Absalom and Polly managed to escape and return home, the perpetrators were never identified or charged.

After Valentine’s death in 1811, Rachel raised eight children on her own. In 1838, she applied for a Revolutionary War widow’s pension. Even after her claim was approved, she encountered further injustice: in 1839, she wrote to the Secretary of War explaining that her pension agent had been collecting and keeping her payments. Only after federal intervention did she receive the benefits owed to her.

In another presentation, a 24-year-old Granville County free woman of color, Nelly Taburn, was living near Fishing Creek when the Revolution began. Born free, she and her husband, William, participated in the war effort just as their white neighbors did. William was drafted for three separate terms, spending more than ten months in service. During his absences, Nelly cultivated crops and sustained their growing family.

Yet when William later applied for a pension, federal officials subjected his claim to unusual scrutiny. The U.S. Pension Commissioner reportedly doubted that an African American man could have served alongside white soldiers. Affidavits from fellow soldiers and officers were not enough. Only after North Carolina’s Secretary of State confirmed that free men of color had indeed been subject to the draft did the claim proceed.

By that time, William was described as “almost blind” and living in the county poorhouse. After his death in 1835, Nelly applied as a widow. Records suggest she may have spent her final years living with family.

Free women of color had never been permitted to vote, and all faced restrictions in court. For families like the Taburns and the Locuses, these legal barriers compounded everyday hardships.

By focusing on free women of color, MosaicNC’s exhibit challenges narrow interpretations of Revolutionary history. It reminds North Carolinians that the ideals of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” were defended in farm fields, homesteads and courtrooms–just as much as the battlefield.

North Carolina’s Data Center Surge Is Sparking Debate Over Energy Costs

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:09:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Data centers have become the backbone of modern life. In North Carolina, that backbone is expanding at a historic pace by bringing billions in investment, thousands of construction jobs and a growing debate over energy, water and who pays the bill.

The warehouse-sized facilities that power cloud computing, artificial intelligence, streaming services and nearly every corner of the modern digital economy are expanding rapidly across North Carolina. Yet it remains surprisingly difficult to pin down exactly how many data centers there really are in the state. Depending on the source and how facilities are categorized, estimates range from roughly 40 major operating centers to 140 total facilities statewide.

North Carolina’s data center footprint began in earnest in 2009 when Apple announced its campus in Catawba County. The company now operates eight hyperscale facilities there, spanning more than 500,000 square feet, including a recent $175 million, 237,600-square-foot expansion. Meta established a multi-building campus in Rutherford County, while Google has invested more than $1.2 billion in Caldwell County.

Amazon Web Services has announced projects across multiple counties too, including a $10 billion investment in Richmond County. The largest operational data center currently in the state is the T-5 Data Center in Cleveland County, a facility that consumes roughly as much electricity as nearly every home in Durham County combined. Microsoft purchased a 1,385-acre megasite in Person County for $26.85 million in 2024. In Edgecombe County, Energy Storage Solutions plans to break ground in 2026 on a $19.2 billion, 900-megawatt data center and energy storage campus in Tarboro’s Kingsboro development, with a similarly scaled project planned in Fayetteville.

Several factors have made North Carolina particularly attractive to data center developers: strong grid coverage from Duke Energy, significant solar generation capacity, abundant large parcels of land at competitive prices, business-friendly tax incentives, and proximity to major East Coast routes. Nationally, Virginia remains the dominant data center market with more than 600 facilities concentrated in Northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley,” the largest cluster in the world, while Texas and California follow behind.

The growth comes with significant energy implications. According to Duke Energy’s 2025 load forecast, total demand across its two Carolina systems is projected to increase between 16% and nearly 60% through 2040. Future growth is expected to accelerate sharply, with data centers accounting for about 80% of Duke Energy’s projected demand growth, according to Gov. Josh Stein’s North Carolina Energy Policy Task Force.

Between 2017 and 2024, the average residential electricity bill in North Carolina rose nearly 30%, with almost two-thirds of that increase driven by rising fuel costs tied largely to volatile natural gas prices. Utilities are projecting further increases by 2040, including proposed residential rate hikes of 16–18% over just the next two years.

In response to those concerns, Gov. Stein created the bipartisan Energy Policy Task Force in August 2025 through Executive Order 23. The 30-member panel, co-chaired by Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Reid Wilson and Rep. Kyle Hall, released an interim report recommending the development of large-load tariffs to ensure that major customers like data centers pay the majority of costs tied to their infrastructure needs. The task force also proposed “bring your own capacity” options that would allow large-load customers to procure or build their own energy resources, encouraged load flexibility programs that would require data centers to reduce consumption during peak demand periods, and called for an assessment of the dollar value of existing tax exemptions for data centers.

The task force will refine its recommendations over the next year before issuing a final report in February 2027.

Environmental advocates point to a Duke University study suggesting that the true cost impact may depend less on total electricity consumption and more on when that electricity is used. The study found that adopting “load flexibility”--shifting computing tasks to off-peak hours when unused grid capacity exists—could help the United States avoid up to $150 billion in new power plant, fuel and transmission costs over the next decade.

Local governments are grappling with how to manage the boom. Chatham County leaders recently approved a one-year moratorium on new data center construction to reassess zoning and infrastructure impacts. In Apex, residents in the New Hill and Jordan Pointe communities have voiced opposition to a proposed 190-acre data center near old U.S. Highway 1.

At the same time, the construction surge is straining labor markets. Data center projects require mission-critical standards for redundancy, cooling, power and security, creating high demand for journeyman and master electricians, low-voltage and fiber technicians, HVAC and refrigeration specialists, pipefitters, ironworkers, concrete crews and experienced project managers. Contractors say finding qualified workers is becoming as challenging as securing materials, particularly in counties where hyperscale campuses overlap with advanced manufacturing projects.

How A Black NC Native Rose To The Top Of Snowboarding

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 20:38:00 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Professional snowboarder Zeb Powell has spent the past few years redefining what the sport looks like while carrying his North Carolina roots onto some of snowboarding’s biggest stages.

Born in Charlotte and raised in Waynesville, Powell grew up far from the traditional mountain hubs that typically produce elite riders, yet carved out a path that would eventually make him one of the most recognizable figures in modern snowboarding. Powell was adopted and raised by Carl and Valerie Powell, whose working-class household in western North Carolina helped shape his grounded, experimental approach to the sport.

Early on, he struggled with instruction that forced him to ride in a stance that did not come naturally, and he initially disliked snowboarding. That frustration, however, turned into persistence. By age 15, he had already won Red Bull All Snow, a breakthrough that signaled the arrival of a rider whose style would prioritize creativity, flair, and individuality over traditional competitive orthodoxy.

His breakthrough moment on the global stage came at the 2020 Winter X Games, where he captured gold in Knuckle Huck, becoming the first Black snowboarder to win X Games gold. Powell has since used that platform to partner with organizations like Hoods to Woods, which introduces inner-city youth to snowboarding and outdoor recreation.

In competition, Powell has remained a consistent presence, placing first in X Games Knuckle Huck in 2020, fourth in 2022, second in 2024, and fourth again in 2025. Off the podium, his influence has arguably been even greater. Known for oversized boards, playful tricks, and an unconventional aesthetic, he has helped push snowboarding toward a more expressive, street-influenced direction that resonates with younger audiences.

That cultural reach has attracted major sponsorships and cross-industry attention. Powell is backed by brands including Red Bull, Burton, Thirtytwo, Recess Ride Shop, and Crab Grab, and in April 2025 he made history again by signing with Jordan Brand, becoming the first professional snowboarder to represent the label.

His growing presence within that world became especially visible during the brand’s 40th anniversary “Board of Greatness” gathering in Greece, where Powell found himself among elite athletes and celebrities, including Michael Jordan, Luka Dončić, Maya Moore, and Carmelo Anthony.

Powell’s celebrity crossover continued during high-profile winter sports coverage that included appearances alongside Snoop Dogg, who served as an honorary Team USA personality during Olympic festivities. In widely shared content, Powell joined snowboarding legend Shaun White in introducing Snoop Dogg to snowboarding.

Beyond entertainment appearances, Powell has also entered mainstream advertising, recently collaborating with skateboard icon Tony Hawk in promotional campaigns, further cementing his status as a crossover action sports figure. He also appeared in a Warren Miller film.

Most recently, Powell was in Boston for the revived Red Bull Heavy Metal Finals, a free urban snowboarding competition held at Boston City Hall Plaza. The plaza was transformed with more than 100 tons of snow to create a custom street course blending architecture and terrain, drawing thousands of spectators and featuring top riders from around the world.

Powell described the past year as “crazy,” noting appearances at X Games, community tours, film features, and major brand activations. Despite the rapid rise, he has maintained a perspective rooted in his North Carolina upbringing, often expressing disbelief at the scale of opportunities now surrounding him

They Were Bound By Law: Limits To Emancipation in Revolutionary NC

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 17:04:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Last Wednesday, the State Archives of NC’s America 250 held a panel discussion offering a detailed examination of how colonial and early state laws shaped the lives of African Americans in North Carolina. The panel, titled “Bound by Law: Limits to Emancipation during the Revolution” revealed deep contradictions between revolutionary ideals of liberty and the legal system that restricted Black freedom.

Hosted as a lunch-and-learn program, the event spotlighted a research initiative connected to the state’s official commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding in 1776. The program was held in recognition of Black History Month and focused on legislation that restricted the emancipation of enslaved individuals in early North Carolina.

Archives staff Adrienne Berney and Alana Gomez examined the legal landscape from the late seventeenth century through the Revolutionary era, beginning with what was described as “The foundations of Racialized Law,” when race became formally tied to legal status and inheritable lifetime servitude. The panel traced these developments to the 1669 Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina, which declared enslaved people to be property and granted enslavers absolute authority.

Olivia Cody, a junior from Fayetteville majoring in teaching at Winston-Salem State University, contributed to the project through historical research and digital interpretation. Interning with the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources State Archives Division as part of the America 250 NC team, she helped develop an interactive digital timeline and instructional materials designed to make complex legal history more accessible to educators and the public.

“My philosophy is that access to history means more than opening the archive, it means helping people understand what they find there,” Cody said.

By the early 1700s, laws in neighboring Virginia limiting the rights of free Black residents influenced similar legal structures in North Carolina, culminating in statutes by 1741 that reinforced racial hierarchy and further restricted Black mobility and autonomy. During the early to mid-1700s, North Carolina enacted a growing body of laws designed to protect enslaved people primarily as labor property, requiring passes for travel, restricting gatherings for worship or community without white supervision, and obligating white citizens to pursue and return runaway enslaved individuals.

Panelists emphasized that even seemingly protective legislation reflected economic motives rather than humanitarian concern. By 1774, North Carolina outlawed the willful and malicious killing of enslaved people, but the law functioned largely to preserve the stability of the plantation economy rather than recognize enslaved people’s humanity, notably including an exception when an enslaved person was deemed in “willful resistance.” As revolutionary sentiment grew, these legal contradictions became more visible.

The Halifax Resolves of 1776 revealed anxieties among colonial leaders about British promises of freedom to enslaved people who supported the Crown, exposing the tension between the rhetoric of independence and the reality of slavery in North Carolina’s cash-crop economy.

Central to the program was the 1777 statute, “An Act to prevent domestic Insurrections, and for other Purposes,” which sharply limited emancipation and established one of the only legal pathways to freedom through the recognition of “meritorious services.” Under this law, county courts were required to evaluate whether an enslaved person’s extraordinary acts of loyalty, service or devotion justified a recommendation for emancipation to the General Assembly.

To illustrate how these laws operated in practice, the panel highlighted the story of John Jasper White, known as “Currituck Jack,” whose experience demonstrated both the physical and legal battles required for freedom in Revolutionary North Carolina. In 1780, Jack was aboard the schooner Polly, owned by Henry White of Currituck County, when it was captured by British privateers. After persuading his captors to unchain him, Jack helped the crew retake the ship and deliver the captured privateers to Annapolis and the Continental Congress.

Jasper later wrote that Jack “received the thanks of the Congress of the United States . . . and a recommendation to his master to liberate him.” Despite this recognition and his injuries, Jack remained enslaved and was subjected to abuse until the North Carolina General Assembly granted his freedom in 1792.

The program also examined the life of Edward “Ned” Griffin, a multiracial man in Edgecombe County during the Revolution. First documented in a 1770 probate record as “mulatto Ned,” Griffin was passed between enslavers before being sold in 1781 and sent into Continental service as a substitute in exchange for a promise of freedom. Griffin served as a private for twelve months and was honorably discharged in July 1782. However, upon his return, Kitchen reneged on the agreement and sold him again, prompting Griffin to petition the Edgecombe County court for his emancipation.

The North Carolina General Assembly ultimately passed “An Act for Enfranchising Ned Griffin, Late the Property of William Kitchen” in 1784, declaring that “Ned Griffin… shall forever hereafter be in every respect declared to be a freeman; and he shall be, and he is hereby enfranchised and forever delivered and discharged from the yoke of slavery.” Griffin lived as a free person of color in Edgecombe County until his death in 1802.

Throughout the discussion, presenters stressed that the restrictive legal framework did not eliminate resistance among enslaved people.

Reflecting on the research behind the exhibit, Cody noted, “I think what surprised me the most is the resistance that still took place. Although these legislations were set up against enslaved people, enslaved people were still working to either gain their freedom or ensure their continued attempts to do so–making sure they’re still resilient.” She added, “I read stories of resistance, stories of revolt with everything set against them. Much like how we are now, they did not die and disappear.”

Black Newspapers Struggle To Survive Across The U.S.

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:02:18 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Another pillar of the Black Press has fallen.

In February, the Richmond Free Press announced it would cease publication after 34 years, sending shockwaves through Virginia’s Black political, civic, and business communities. Founded in 1992 by Jean Patterson Boone and her late husband Raymond H. Boone Sr., the free weekly had long served as a watchdog, community bulletin, and cultural record for Richmond’s Black residents.

Its closure follows the recent shutdown of The Skanner in Oregon, which folded after more than 50 years in operation. Both publications cited declining advertising revenue, a hostile political and economic climate, and mounting digital challenges that failed to replace lost print dollars.

Their demise is not isolated. It is part of a troubling national pattern, one hitting Black-owned newspapers especially hard.

“The Black newspaper exists, and thousands of people are reading it,” said Paul Jervay, son of Paul Jervay Sr. and longtime publisher of The Carolinian. “So when you make a statement in a Black newspaper, thousands of Black folks are privy to what you just said. And if it’s a movement—civil rights movement—it’s even more magnified. None of that happens without it.”

The Black Press has long been a stabilizing and defiant force in American life. It began in 1827 with Freedom’s Journal in New York, created to counter racist coverage in white-owned newspapers and to advocate for abolition and Black citizenship. After the Civil War, as newly freed African Americans claimed literacy and a political voice, Black newspapers proliferated across the South and beyond.

In North Carolina, that growth was especially pronounced: by the 1880s and 1890s, more than 30 African American newspapers had launched in the state. They shifted their focus from slavery to religion, politics, education, literature, and civic life, reporting the news through the eyes of Black journalists for Black readers. These publications documented Reconstruction, exposed racial violence, championed civil rights legislation, and preserved the everyday milestones of community life.

“Not only does it show what the community is thinking, but when you deal with someone like Jesse Jackson—a national icon—you don’t have that figure without a Black newspaper,” Jervay said. “You can position a national figure in such a manner with a Black newspaper that Americans have to recognize it. Because they feel that thousands of Black folks are behind that individual. It’s not just Jesse Jackson; it’s the national Black community.”

North Carolina has long been home to some of the nation’s most enduring Black newspapers, including The Star of Zion, established in 1876 and still in production today; The Carolina Times; The Carolinian; Carolina Peacemaker; The Charlotte Post; and the Winston-Salem Chronicle. Historically Black colleges and universities across the state also produced campus newspapers.

Yet since the COVID-19 pandemic, the losses have accelerated. In 2020, after the death of publisher Kenneth Edmonds, The Carolina Times ceased publication after 93 years, reducing Durham’s legacy Black-owned newspapers from two to one. In Wilmington, The Wilmington Journal stopped printing in 2021 following the death of longtime editor Mary Alice Jervay Thatch. The Journal’s roots stretch back to 1927 and are deeply tied to the aftermath of the 1898 white supremacist coup in Wilmington, when a racist mob destroyed The Daily Record, then billed as the only Black daily newspaper in the world.

Today, only about 10 Black media outlets—print, digital, and radio—serve the entire state of North Carolina, according to UNC’s Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media.

Nationally, the crisis is even more stark: 136 newspapers closed in the past year alone. Since 2005, the United States has lost nearly 3,500 newspapers and more than 270,000 newspaper jobs. Daily newspaper circulation has fallen from 50–60 million at the turn of the century to just over 15 million today. Roughly 50 million Americans now live in “news deserts,” areas with little to no reliable local news coverage.

According to leaders within the National Newspaper Publishers Association, more than 200 of its 250 member outlets are currently in financial distress. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, Black newspapers experienced a brief surge in corporate and philanthropic support tied to diversity pledges. But by 2025, much of that momentum had faded. A 2024 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that small disadvantaged businesses received just 14% of $14.9 billion in federal advertising spending, with Black-owned media receiving the smallest portion of that limited share.

When a Black newspaper closes, it’s not just the paper that disappears. It’s a record of Black civic life. It’s fewer reporters pressing officials on housing inequities, school funding, and voting rights. It’s fewer archives preserving the everyday history of neighborhoods, churches, fraternities, sororities, and small businesses.

In Durham, entrepreneur Cary Wheelous launched Hayti, a Black-owned news and podcast app designed to aggregate content from Black publishers worldwide and bring Black media into the digital age. Nationally, more than 300 local news startups have launched in the past five years. Yet most are concentrated in metro areas, leaving rural and historically underserved Black communities vulnerable.

Jervay also highlighted the need for a multi-platform strategy to strengthen Black media.

“Right here in this community, we don’t have a Black television station. Your generation needs to go over there (to the local HBCU) and say, ‘I want the key. I want nothing else. I just want the key,” he said. “You create a media megaforce and then the other side has to respect that. And with that respect, you begin to get some of the things you need as a people to move forward.”

A Bipartisan Panel To Update NC Election Data Systems

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:33:00 +0000

Screenshot

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

North Carolina took a major step toward updating its election technology Tuesday with the inaugural meeting of the Modernization of Election Data Systems (MEDS) Commission.

Chaired by State Auditor Dave Boliek, the 22-member bipartisan group is tasked with providing guidance and practical advice on modernizing the state’s election management system and campaign finance reporting software.

“The current system hasn’t been updated since 1998—before the iPhone, social media, AI, and high-speed computers,” Boliek said. “We know that now is the time to do this. An elected politician deciding to take on a technological change is a real risk. I take the job seriously: I want to actually do something to help the people of NC in a way that’s transparent and effective.”

The commission includes elections officials from across the state, political science experts, researchers, and representatives from advocacy organizations. Members include Derek Bowens, Durham County elections director; Michael Dickerson, North Carolina’s longest-serving elections director; and political science professors Chris Cooper of Western Carolina University and Andy Jackson of Appalachian State University.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the commission reviewed a three-phase plan to modernize the Statewide Elections Information Management System (SEIMS), the backbone of the state’s elections operations. SEIMS coordinates voter registration, election results reporting, and daily operations for the State Board of Elections and 100 county boards. The commission will also assist with updates to North Carolina’s campaign finance reporting system, which has been in place since the early 2000s.

“The goal is to develop a secure, user-friendly system that meets the needs of voters, administrators, and candidates alike,” Boliek said. “These updates should come with ideas and feedback from people who will be using these systems.”

Commission members discussed plans to evaluate vendor proposals, offer feedback on system functionality, recommend final plans, and monitor implementation. The hope is that the modernized system will become a model for other states while reinforcing voter confidence in North Carolina elections.

Jackson highlighted the importance of reliable election data, saying, “Providing accurate, timely information helps bolster public confidence in our elections. Some improvements we are considering include requiring election committees to submit digital reports and tracking them by election rather than by year or committee.”

The commission’s work will unfold over the next two years, with modernization implemented in phases. Meetings are open to the public.

A Home of History: Inside Wilson’s Unique Freeman Round House Museum

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:44:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Opened in 2001, the Oliver Nestus Freeman Round House Museum stands as one of eastern North Carolina’s most distinctive historic landmarks, and as a tribute to the life and craftsmanship of Oliver Nestus Freeman.

Born in 1882 as the son of a former slave, Oliver Nestus Freeman like many other African-Americans in Wilson, NC found few opportunities. Educated at the Tuskegee Normal School in Alabama, Freeman returned to Wilson and helped construct a number of houses to help alleviate the shortage of housing for soldiers returning from World War II.

Freeman's contributions to Wilson's architecture and affordable housing efforts were recognized by the naming of Wilson's first housing redevelopment project—Freeman Place.

The museum’s mission is to “preserve, promote and present African-American history, art and culture to all citizens of Wilson and the region in order to increase the awareness, understanding and appreciation of cultural traditions and African-American contributions to society.” Fittingly, it operates inside Freeman’s most unusual creation: a circular stone dwelling known locally as the Freeman Round House.

Freeman formed friendships with prominent leaders including Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver. Around 1910, he settled in Wilson, where Freeman built a modest brick house at 1300 East Nash Street, a home that remained in the family for generations and served as the starting point for a lifetime of craftsmanship.

Freeman identified himself in the 1910 and 1920 censuses as a brickmason, but his skills extended well beyond brickwork. Over the next four decades, he became Wilson’s preeminent brick and stonemason, working in brick, stone and tile. His bold, rough stone foundations, chimneys and columns became a defining feature of many of the city’s early 20th-century bungalows. He also created imaginative masonry garden sculptures that still dot local landscapes.

His most famous works, however, were those he built for himself. In the 1920s, he transformed his original brick cottage into a striking stone bungalow, adding textured masonry details and handcrafted elements that showcased his creativity. On the same property, he constructed a nearby rental dwelling to help address housing shortages.

In the 1940s, Freeman completed what would become his signature project: the Freeman Round House. Built of rough stone and featuring a circular plan divided into wedge-shaped rooms, the house is locally unique. Over time, he added concrete and stone garden sculptures to the grounds, including a whimsical 7-foot dinosaur that remains one of the property’s most memorable features.

Freeman’s work also extended beyond private homes. After World War II, he helped construct houses to alleviate shortages for returning soldiers. His contributions to affordable housing and to Wilson’s architectural landscape were later recognized when the city named its first housing redevelopment project Freeman Place in his honor.

Oliver Nestus Freeman died Sept. 28, 1955, leaving behind a built legacy that blended skill, artistry and service. Decades later, community leaders preserved the Round House as a museum so that his work would not be forgotten.

Law Enforcement,Judicial Leaders Push For Reform In A Joint House Meeting

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:04:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A multitude of county district attorneys from across the state gathered Thursday in Raleigh for a joint House meeting to press lawmakers on budget priorities, structural reforms, and law enforcement challenges. Leaders from the State Bureau of Investigation and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol also testified, detailing staffing shortages, technology initiatives, and public safety concerns.

District attorneys told lawmakers that approximately $180 million is allocated to the DA budget and staffing statewide, with roughly 98% of that funding spent on personnel. They emphasized that DAs are distinct from judges and clerks, noting that unlike other judicial officials, prosecutors are direct parties to cases and bear responsibility for prosecutorial decisions and case management. Currently, district attorneys make up about 22% of the judicial branch.

Seth Banks, a Western North Carolina attorney who serves as president of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys and represents the 35th Prosecutorial District, argued that prosecutors should have greater authority over how legislative resources are used. He said DAs should be able to decide which resources are needed and be responsible for securing those items from the legislature, as well as determine which technologies are necessary to perform their duties and manage caseloads in their respective districts.

The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys, created as a state agency in 1983, includes every district attorney in the state as a member.

Referencing a recent hearing involving Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer McFadden in Charlotte, prosecutors sought to clarify their intent regarding proposed changes to the judicial structure.

“We’re not seeking to move to the Executive Branch,” one reference to McFadden’s remarks noted, adding, “DA’s should determine how legislative resources provided for prosecution are implemented.”

Prosecutors are advocating for statutory changes that would shift certain administrative responsibilities from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) directly to district attorneys. Under the proposal, the AOC would no longer be responsible for overseeing the prosecutorial process, a move supporters argue would allow for faster decisions, more effective operations, and less red tape. In the proposed framework, the AOC would continue to control local dollars in each county. The AOC’s executive committee is currently made up of nine district attorneys and a director, and proponents said the restructuring would mirror models used in states such as Georgia and Tennessee.

Later in the meeting, the head of the State Bureau of Investigation, Roger "Chip" Hawley, reported that the agency has 280 sworn positions and 266 non-sworn positions, and over the past 13 months has cut response times in half. The SBI has revamped its human trafficking unit with the help of a grant from the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys and Safe Alliance, a Charlotte-based organization. The agency’s “Air Wing” doubled its air time in 2025 compared to 2024, assisting in searches for suspects and missing persons and in apprehending perpetrators.

The SBI also highlighted a push toward greater transparency and public engagement through social media. In 2024, the agency recorded fewer than 1 million views across its platforms; in 2025, that number climbed to 25 million. So far in 2026, it has already reached 10.5 million views and gained thousands of new followers.

Technology initiatives were also discussed, including a license plate reader pilot program implemented in Raleigh and Richmond County in July 2025. The program includes 111 license plate readers installed across Department of Transportation rights-of-way, with 29 agencies participating. Officials cited one success story in which a vehicle traveling from New Jersey was identified and intercepted within half an hour of crossing the state border, with large amounts of fentanyl found inside.

Law enforcement leaders also described a newly formed vape shop working group that includes at least seven agencies, among them the Department of Agriculture, the Secretary of State’s Office, and drug enforcement authorities. The group held its first meeting on Feb. 11 and is examining the regulation of what officials estimate to be between 12,000 and 15,000 vape shops operating statewide.

Officials said they have also met with Florida authorities to collaborate on strategies to combat cryptocurrency scams that disproportionately target elderly residents nationwide.

The North Carolina State Highway Patrol, however, painted a stark picture of staffing shortages tied to compensation. Highway Patrol Commander Col. Freddy Johnson Jr. told lawmakers that the agency is “bleeding troopers” because its starting and maximum salaries are not competitive with other agencies in the state. In the past six months alone, the number of vacant trooper positions has risen 37%.

Highway Patrol offers a starting salary of $55,000 for entry-level troopers, while at least 30 other law enforcement agencies offer more. The top salary of $80,000 also trails at least 30 other agencies, more than half of which offer $100,000 or more. The Patrol responded to more than 6,000 crashes during two snow storms in the past month and could have used additional personnel, according to Johnson.

The staffing challenges extended beyond public safety: a 700-page report from the State Auditor’s Office identified more than 4,500 jobs across state government that have gone unfilled for over a year, with low compensation cited as the most common reason. The vacancies span major agencies, including public safety, health care, transportation, and environmental oversight.

“Senate Republicans are committed to supporting law enforcement by increasing their salaries to ensure our agencies can recruit and retain highly qualified officers,” said Lauren Horsch, a spokesperson for Senate Leader Phil Berger.

NCCU Celebrates New Peggy Ward Financial Education Center Opening

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:30:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

At North Carolina Central University, a milestone was marked Tuesday morning with the ribbon cutting of the Peggy M. Ward Financial Education Center, a space university leaders say will shape financial futures for generations of students and families across Durham and beyond.

The ceremony, held inside the university’s new 76,000-square-foot School of Business building, celebrated distinguished alumna Peggy M. Ward, Class of 1974, who's initial 2019 gift established the center and whose decades of leadership and philanthropy have left a lasting mark on the institution. The Business Incubator Suite—home to the Center of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development and now the Peggy Ward Financial Education Center—sits within a facility that also features a Trading Room with Bloomberg terminals, a Cybersecurity Lab, a Business Innovation Lab equipped with 3D printers and virtual reality technology, a Behavioral Research Classroom, and the 200-seat Lowe’s Auditorium.

Dean Anthony Nelson opened the ceremony by welcoming guests that included representatives from commercial and financial banks, city of Durham officials, university administrators, faculty, staff, and students. “Your presence here signifies the importance of this initiative.”

Nelson called the center “a testament to our commitment to equipping future leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the complexities of today’s financial landscape,” adding that “in a world where financial literacy is more crucial than ever, this center represents our pledge to enhance educational opportunities and empower our students and the community.”

He emphasized the School of Business’s distinction as the first HBCU with an MBA concentration in wealth management.

Dr. Tiffany Murray, director of the Peggy Ward Financial Education Center and a faculty member in the wealth management program, described the center as more than brick and mortar: “It’s a commitment, it’s a resource, it’s an opportunity,” she said. “An opportunity for our students to learn not just theory, but application. An opportunity for our community to gain tools that change financial futures. And an opportunity for us to create a generational impact through education.”

Murray outlined the center’s mission: “to empower NCCU students and the surrounding community through high-quality financial education, resources, and experiential learning opportunities.” She added that the center aims to equip participants “with the knowledge and skills to achieve financial wellness, make informed financial decisions, and excel in professional endeavors.”

Financial literacy, she stressed, “is not optional — it’s essential.”

The center will expand undergraduate and graduate coursework, develop a CFP Board-registered certificate program, and offer Securities Industry Essentials exam preparation and voucher support. It also oversees the Peggy Ward Financial Education Center Wealth Management Camp for high school students and works to provide digital credentialing options in partnership with NCCU’s Office of eLearning.

Chancellor Karrie G. Dixon called the moment “truly an honor” as she addressed the crowd. “All of you know how phenomenal Peggy Ward is,” she said. “I’ve only been here 18 months as your 13th chancellor, but from day one, I heard the name Peggy Ward.”

Dixon described Ward’s warmth and determination in equal measure. “That smile just warms your heart,” she said. “But don’t let the smile fool you, because Peggy Ward means business. She has that fire.”

Recognizing Ward as a 1974 graduate and lifelong Eagle, Dixon praised her service as former president of the NCCU National Alumni Association and as the first woman elected chair of the NCCU Board of Trustees.

On behalf of Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, Dixon read a proclamation declaring Feb. 17, 2026, as Peggy Ward Financial Education Day in the City of Durham. The proclamation cited Ward’s more than five decades of leadership, her 40-plus-year career in financial services, and her role in providing the initial funding to establish the center in 2019.

A short film tracing Ward’s life journey was shown during the ceremony, beginning in Rich Square, North Carolina, where she grew up as the second of six children. Her mother worked long days in the fields of Northampton County, picking peanuts and cotton, instilling in her children discipline and a belief in “using one’s mind, not one’s hands, to make a living.”

Encouraged by her older brother, Ward entered NCCU in 1970 as a business administration major. She embraced campus life, crossed into Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., in 1972 and graduated in 1974, prepared for a career in business. After five years in corporate America, she joined New York Life Insurance Company at age 27, expecting to stay six months. Instead, it became a career spanning more than four decades. In 1980, she was named Agent of the Year, ranking among the top 5% of life insurance representatives worldwide. She later became president of the Charlotte chapter of the Life Underwriters Association and built a reputation for integrity, mentorship, and leadership.

When Ward took the podium, she reflected on her days as a student. “I left North Carolina Central in 1974, and I only left with two books,” she said. “One was my personal finance book, taught by Sophia Brown, and my insurance book, taught by Dr. Fulbright. It’s amazing how things have come full circle.”

She outlined a broad vision: “As we place emphasis on budgeting, managing and reducing debt, saving and investing, providing protection for our families, our focus will be a bigger picture, which is creating wealth that is to be transferred to the next generations, which will ultimately narrow the racial wealth gap between African Americans and white America.”

Closing with scripture, she quoted Proverbs 13:22: “A good man—and I’m going to add, and a good woman—leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.” She called it “a principle of wisdom, encouraging believers to be stewards of their resources to provide for future generations.”

Exhibit Honors Black Architects And Builders Who Shaped North Carolina

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 02:51:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

At North Carolina Central University’s James E. Shepard Memorial Library, a bold banner greets visitors with three simple words: “We Built This.”

Beneath it, the exhibit explains, “Many of the historic buildings we revere in North Carolina are credited to their owners. Rarely are the people responsible for the labor and craftsmanship recognized. This exhibit seeks to acknowledge the countless African Americans who built the historic buildings we collectively treasure.”

The traveling exhibit, “Profiles of Black Architects and Builders in North Carolina,” was created by Preservation North Carolina and is being presented in Durham by Hayti Promise Community Development Corporation and Preservation Durham. It marks the first time NCCU has hosted the exhibit, which is part of the university’s Black History Month event series.

Spanning three centuries, the exhibit features more than two dozen profiles of Black architects, builders and craftsmen—from enslaved people whose African construction knowledge shaped early Southern architecture, to post–Civil War tradesmen who built schools and churches, to civic leaders of Durham’s Black Wall Street and contemporary design professionals. Through personal stories and historic photographs, it explores pivotal eras including slavery and Reconstruction, the founding of historically Black colleges and universities and Black churches, Jim Crow and segregation, and the rise of Black civic leaders and professionals.

“The NCCU James E. Shepard Memorial Library is proud to host the ‘We Built This’ exhibition, a virtual encyclopedia of African American architects and builders whose work has shaped North Carolina’s towns, churches, businesses, HBCU campuses, and neighborhoods for generations,” said André Vann, university archivist and public history instructor. “Through the design and construction of both public and private spaces, the exhibit honors their skill, creativity, and lasting impact.”

Among the figures highlighted is W. Edward Jenkins, a Wake County native who served in World War II and studied architectural engineering at North Carolina A&T State University, Class of 1949. Jenkins became the first Black architect hired by a previously all-white firm in Greensboro and was licensed in North Carolina in 1953. His work includes NCCU’s LeRoy T. Walker Physical Education and Recreation Complex, the Albert L. Turner Law Building, and, in 1977, the contemporary White Rock Baptist Church.

The exhibit also spotlights Julian Francis Abele, chief designer of Duke University’s West Campus, including the iconic Duke Chapel. Abele was the first Black graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Design in 1902. One of his early credited works was Cameron Indoor Stadium in 1938. He died 11 years before Duke admitted its first Black student.

Other profiles include William H. Houser, a formerly enslaved man from South Carolina who went on to build facilities such as Carter Hall at Johnson C. Smith University; John Merrick, founder of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company and a pillar of Durham’s Black Wall Street; Bishop Henry Beard Delany, who oversaw construction of the campus at Saint Augustine’s University; and John Winters, a builder who became the first African American elected to Raleigh’s City Council.

The exhibit reaches into the 20th and 21st centuries, highlighting the Rosenwald school-building movement that resulted in more than 800 schools across North Carolina, post–World War II Black builders and pioneers such as Danita Brown, who in 1990 became the first Black woman licensed to practice architecture in North Carolina–one of only 30 Black women licensed in the United States at the time. Brown now serves in national historic preservation leadership roles at the federal level.

The exhibit also explores the role of fraternal organizations and tradesmen in the late 19th century, including Black Freemasons who established 11 lodges across the state by 1873 and formed the North Carolina Industrial Association in 1879 to promote Black economic welfare in the South. The association organized the Colored State Fair from 1879 to 1930, a showcase of Black enterprise and craftsmanship.

Students say the exhibit is already reshaping their understanding of history. Whitaker, a 19-year-old sophomore history major at NCCU, said learning about the builders behind familiar landmarks changed his perspective.

For Black architects and builders working today, the exhibit carries professional and personal significance. Fredrick Davis, a Durham architect and builder of public school facilities, called the history essential.

“It brings me great joy to see the pioneers who came before me, and it encourages me to continue in that effort,” Davis said. “For centuries, as architects and builders, we have been responsible for highlighting and improving the built environment.”

Cheryl Brown, board chair of Hayti Promise Community Development Corporation, said the exhibit resonates deeply with Durham’s Hayti District, once a thriving center of Black enterprise.

“By recognizing the profound impact of the craftsmen, professionals, and civic leaders featured in this exhibit, we are reminded of what made the Hayti District vibrant and successful.”

Raleigh Council Candidates Face Off at Shaw’s Forum

Jordan Meadows — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:39:00 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Raleigh voters had the opportunity to engage with candidates for mayoral, at-large, and district city council seats at the Non-Partisan Candidates’ Forum held Saturday, February 7, 2026, at Shaw University. The event offered residents a chance to hear directly from candidates, ask questions, and discuss issues shaping Raleigh’s future, including housing, public safety, transportation, and community resources.

The forum was divided into two sessions. This year, Raleigh voters will face primaries for some council seats for the first time. All city residents will vote for two at-large seats, while District C voters will select one candidate from a four-person field.

In the afternoon session for District C, which covers southeast Raleigh, incumbent Corey Branch faced challengers Jared Ollison, a North Carolina State Capitol police officer and former Wake County Detention Center administrator, and Diana Powell, a violence prevention specialist and founder of a criminal justice reentry nonprofit.

Branch highlighted his record on affordable housing and public transit improvements, noting his role in bringing the BRT corridor to New Bern Avenue. He also cautioned against misrepresenting community desires, saying, “That’s not what the community ever said they wanted. The community said they wanted retail,” in reference to a proposed development near New Hope Road in Olde Towne Subdivision.

During the forum, tensions emerged over transparency and campaign funding. Powell criticized the council, stating, “I believe that’s what’s missing: you voted, but we don't understand why you voted.”

Ollison emphasized ethics in fundraising, saying, “All City Council persons, all government officials, need to make sure that when they are campaigning and raising funds, they do not accept funds from anyone who has business with the city. I will not allow them to bulldoze our communities; I will not allow them to bulldoze Shaw University.”

Branch responded, defending his record and campaign finances: “I’m a Raleigh native, born and raised…. Why in the world would I ever try to hurt the community that I grew up in?” He added that all contributions to his campaign are fully accounted for and publicly disclosed.

For other Council seats, candidates included Megan Patton, Christina Jones, and Whitney Hill.

Patton, elected in 2022, emphasized transit, sustainability, and affordable housing, noting that despite setbacks to the Moore Square project, “It is true that the whole vision of that is not going to be able to be delivered the way it was originally afforded at the time. It is true that the changes in interest rates have shifted things. But that does not mean we’re not going to deliver on the goal of putting affordable housing in the heart of downtown.”

Hill, running for her third time, focused on public safety, tax reduction, and expanding housing availability. Patton and Hill also discussed solutions to homelessness, with Patton emphasizing mental health support, while Hill highlighted affordable housing initiatives.

Council member Christina Jones, a two-term incumbent, highlighted programs aimed at reducing homelessness and domestic violence, saying, “We started the CARES program to help work with mental health and issues with domestic violence,” noting that the council approved $5 million for workforce development and stability programs last year. She emphasized collaboration with county agencies through initiatives like Bringing Neighbors Home to address homelessness comprehensively.

Jevon Smith, a candidate for the Raleigh City Council District D seat, also appeared at the forum, highlighting more than 15 years of experience leading large business and government initiatives at the state and federal levels. Smith said his campaign is centered on housing, transit, and environmental issues, and argued that current development laws limit the authority of local elected officials.

He told attendees that the city council is often “at the will of the developer” during negotiations and said Raleigh should work with the state to appeal portions of the law to expand local oversight, which he said would allow the city to exert greater control over development decisions and growth.

B udget considerations and employee benefits were also discussed, with candidates emphasizing fiscal responsibility alongside support for city workers.

When asked about benefits such as depression pay for firefighters, Patton noted, “When I look at the budget, I say it’s not about what’s too expensive, it’s about what your growing rates are – and we had email after email from people saying they want to support our firefighters. We want to give them this benefit.”

The forum provided residents with a comprehensive view of the candidates’ positions ahead of Raleigh’s upcoming elections on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Shaw University Dormitory Closed After Fire

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 23:30:00 +0000

By: Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

A fire inside Shaw University’s Dimple Newsome Living and Learning Center prompted the evacuation of students Thursday evening and forced the dormitory to close indefinitely as repairs and safety assessments continue.

The Raleigh Fire Department said the fire was reported around 7:15 p.m. and originated in room 313 on the third floor of the building.

Fire officials said the blaze was caused by a space heater powered by an extension cord. Authorities described the incident as an accidental electrical fire, though they could not immediately confirm the exact materials that were ignited.

Students complained of freezing temperatures inside the dorm and the need for a heater, which they acknowledged may have been left on too long and caught onto a bedsheet.

Within four minutes of the fire being reported, firefighters arrived on scene and found students already evacuating the building. Heavy smoke was present on the third floor, and damage to the room was described as moderate. City officials said the damage was confined to the third floor and confirmed the fire was not related to the building’s electrical system.

Multiple students told local media outlets that when they attempted to activate the fire alarm, it did not work. Some said they were forced to alert one another manually as smoke spread through the hallway.

The incident has heightened concerns among students and parents who say the dormitory lacked heat and hot water prior to the fire. Students said university leadership told residents they needed to move out and go home on Friday, prompting some to move back in with their parents.

“We’re pretty much being kicked out. We don’t know when we’ll be able to come back,” a student said.

State records show the dormitory last underwent a state-mandated fire inspection on Dec. 30, 2025. That inspection resulted in six violations related to maintenance and testing schedules and procedures for fire alarms and detection systems. Because it was the university’s first violation, no fine was issued. As of Friday, the university had not yet scheduled a follow-up inspection.

Dimple Newsome Dorm was built in 1970 and has long served as a residential space for Shaw University students. The building was fully evacuated Thursday night and will remain closed while repairs are completed. University officials did not provide a timeline for reopening.

In a statement released to ABC11, Shaw University said, “The well-being of our students and campus community remains our highest priority. A fire occurred on campus last evening in one of our residential facilities. The incident was contained to a single room and was promptly addressed. The University is actively arranging alternative housing accommodations for the students impacted. The residence hall will remain closed while thorough assessments and necessary repairs are completed.”

Shaw later announced it would provide hotel accommodations for displaced students and instructed them to report to the student center to be assigned lodging and transportation.

University officials also acknowledged ongoing heating and hot water issues at the dorm, stating they are aware of the problems and are working to resolve them. “The University takes these concerns seriously, and the health, safety, and well-being of our students remain our highest priority,” the statement read in part. Officials said extreme winter temperatures have placed unusually high demand on campus systems and that the university is responding with “an enhanced, around-the-clock support plan.”

No injuries were reported in connection with the fire, and the Raleigh Fire Department continues to investigate the incident as the university proceeds with repairs and housing arrangements for affected students.

We Can Do Better: The Kingsboro Fight Against Environmental Racism

Jordan Meadows — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:51:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Nearly 30 years after residents of the predominantly Black Kingsboro community–sitting in between Rocky Mount and Tarboro–stopped a massive hog slaughterhouse from being built in their neighborhood, the fight is being recognized as a defining environmental justice victory in Edgecombe County.

In the mid-1990s, Iowa Beef Processors (IBP) proposed constructing a 300-acre hog slaughterhouse between Rocky Mount and Tarboro that would have operated 24 hours a day and killed an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 hogs daily. The facility was expected to employ about 2,000 workers and bring constant tractor-trailer traffic through the rural community.

In 1995, the white-majority Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners began efforts to rezone land in Kingsboro from residential to heavy industrial use to accommodate the IBP facility.

The proposal drew little public attention until Tarboro attorney Marvin V. Horton Jr. noticed a legal notice in The Daily Southerner announcing the rezoning request. After pressing county officials for details, Horton learned that IBP was behind the plan.

“They were excited about it,” Horton later recalled in a documentary called We Can Do Better. “I told them I thought I was going to be sick.”

Horton alerted Kingsboro residents, warning that the slaughterhouse posed serious risks to the community’s health, property, and environment. The proposed facility raised immediate concerns about water use and pollution. The slaughterhouse would have required up to six million gallons of water per day from the city of Rocky Mount, a demand that opponents argued threatened the Tar River as a clean water source.

Environmental advocates warned that waste discharge and runoff from the plant could contaminate waterways and harm aquatic life. Slaughterhouses are widely recognized as significant contributors to water pollution, with weak regulatory oversight often leaving neighboring communities exposed to environmental and health risks. Residents also objected to the project’s economic structure, noting that many of the higher-paying management jobs would be based in neighboring Nash County, while Edgecombe County would bear the environmental burden and receive mostly low-wage positions.

In response, residents formed the Citizens for Responsible Zoning (CRZ), chaired by Kingsboro resident Gleno Horne. Under the slogan “We Can Do Better,” the group organized public opposition to the IBP proposal.

CRZ members packed planning board meetings and public hearings, where crowds frequently overflowed and chanted “No IBP!” The group brought in a health expert from Iowa to brief the public and elected officials on the impacts of hog slaughterhouses, and held organizing meetings at Antioch Church, where residents established the Kingsboro Property Owners Association.

In March 1996, the Kingsboro Property Owners Association filed a lawsuit against Edgecombe County, alleging contract zoning, abuse of public duty, and the creation of a public nuisance. One issue proved especially influential: water consumption. Horton and other opponents argued that slaughtering tens of thousands of hogs per day would require two to three times the daily flow of the Tar River, making the project environmentally untenable.

On April 9, 1996, after months of protests, public hearings, and legal action, the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners voted to deny IBP’s rezoning request. The decision marked a major victory for Kingsboro residents, who viewed the outcome as protection against environmental racism — the disproportionate siting of polluting industries in communities of color.

Instead of a hog slaughterhouse, the land once targeted by IBP was later developed into an eco-friendly QVC distribution center, powered in part by a solar farm and employing up to 2,000 people.

The Kingsboro fight has since been documented in We Can Do Better, a 30-minute documentary produced by Charlotte-based filmmaker Frederick Murphy in collaboration with East Carolina University Special Collections and the Phoenix Historical Society. The film was supported by a 2022–23 Institute of Museum and Library Services Library Services and Technology Act grant.

In April 2025, the Citizens for Responsible Zoning were honored with a North Carolina Highway Historical Marker, dedicated at the intersection of Kingsboro Road and Antioch Road. More than 125 people attended the unveiling ceremony, which recognized the contributions of 18 CRZ participants who have since died.

Community members and advocates continue to cite the Kingsboro campaign as a model for grassroots organizing and environmental justice, particularly in rural Black communities facing industrial development pressures.

As resident Melvin Ray Hart said during the commemoration, “If those people hadn’t stood together and spoken so forcefully, anything could have happened.”

Historic Site In Wendell To Become A Community Hub

Jordan Meadows — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 14:45:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

The Pleasant Grove Redevelopment Project marks a major step in restoring and reimagining one of Wendell’s most historically significant African American community sites, centered on the former Carver School and Pleasant Grove Community Church campus.

The campus includes a 3.15-acre site, with a western building constructed between 1949 and 1959, currently known as the Carver Center, which today houses a daycare and a community food pantry. To the east stands the former Carver School building, built by 1949 on the site of an earlier Rosenwald School that was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. That structure has been vacant for roughly 20 years. A small brick shed sits south of the two main buildings. Under the redevelopment plan, the former Carver School will be renovated into a new community center, while continuing and expanding the site’s longstanding role as a neighborhood anchor.

The proposed Carver Community Center at Pleasant Grove is envisioned as a comprehensive hub for services and programs, including afterschool, track-out, and summer camp programs; job development services; space for nonprofit organizations to provide services; performing arts space within the retained auditorium; inclusive program areas suitable for multigenerational and multi-capable community members; universal design to ensure full Americans with Disabilities Act compliance; and space to continue onsite food security efforts.

The school and church property were only recently annexed by the town, despite the Pleasant Grove community existing long before Wendell’s incorporation.

Pleasant Grove Community Church, founded in 1863, has been central to that history. The school originated as part of the church and, in the early 1900s, became a Rosenwald School, part of the nationwide effort to educate Black children in the segregated South.

Asa Bell, pastor of Pleasant Grove, emphasized the site’s historic role, saying, “This school served historically as a community anchor; a community asset. This is where black folk gathered, this is where assemblies occurred. Many of the teachers who taught at the school attended the church––there was a partnership.”

Bell noted that many successful Black residents who grew up in the area credit the Carver School as foundational to their achievements beyond Wendell.

In 2007, the church purchased the two school buildings and the land from Wake County, returning the property to local ownership and renewed community use. From the campus, the church helped birth a food pantry, after-school programs, and workforce development initiatives, often in partnership with the county.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, one of the buildings was boarded up and became an eyesore, requiring more resources to redevelop than the church could provide alone. At the same time, the church served as a vaccine and COVID testing site, as church and town leaders began broader discussions about restoring the property and addressing historic inequities.

“The town committed significant funds to the project. They reached out to county, state, and federal entities to solicit additional funding. What came from that was a $2M appropriation from Congress, with Deborah Ross leading the effort,” Bell said.

The project, years in the making, is supported by federal funding, contributions from Wake County, and local dollars. A groundbreaking held this past October brought together some of the church’s oldest members alongside elected officials and town staff.

Marc Collins, Wendell’s town manager, described the partnership between the town and the church as intentional and relationship-driven.

“There are deliberative conversations about trust, to help build relationships and have conversations. It’s important to understand that nothing happens without people getting to know each other and establishing trust,” Collins said.

He added that the town and Pleasant Grove shared values and goals, and that the investment was meant to signal that the community is an integral part of Wendell: “The town wanted the community to know they were part of the town itself and the broader community by investing time, money, and energy into it,” Collins said.

Collins explained that the long-term facility lease agreement with the church allows the town to operate the center while respecting the property’s legacy and limitations.

“The town is able to do a long-term facility lease agreement with the church, so we understand what our limitations are and our limitations on the use of the property. We want to make sure it’s protected and secure, and available to the public while also providing community programs,” Collins said.

Community engagement has been central to the redevelopment process. Church members and residents were invited to meetings to review architectural renderings, offer comments, and provide feedback on plans for the site.

Bell described the relationship among the town, the church, and the community as collaborative, shaping both the design and the programming of the future center.

“They should expect to be greeted in an inviting way,” Bell said of future visitors. “They should expect a half gymnasium for recreation purposes, an auditorium that will have a stage to show cultural arts and community meetings. They should expect a space with collapsible walls to have family reunions and gatherings, office space, and meeting rooms with computers.”

Collins said the finished center will intentionally blend history with forward-looking opportunity: “Expect history…a glass tower beacon of light was designed by the architect to represent a beacon of hope for the community. Within that space will be a rendering of the history of Pleasant Grove,” he said.

“Some of the programming will include kids and seniors. You’ll see opportunities for small business classes and senior citizens gathering. A new playground and ball field for recreational teams to play on,” Bell added.

For Bell, the project represents both restoration and justice.

“I think we will, in the same spirit that has brought us to the table, bring something back to life that laid dormant for decades and had the potential to be lost forever,” he said. “We were able to do that by seeing need, act on need, and bringing the necessary skill set to right that wrong.”

Corneilous Harnett & The Price of Progress

Jordan Meadows — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 20:48:00 +0000

By Jheri Hardaway

Staff Writer

Harnett County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. The ‘Old North State’ is experiencing rapid growth. North Carolina boasts 11 million residents as of July 2025, making it the 3rd fastest-growing state in the nation. Nearly 150,000 people have moved in over the past year, which makes 600,000 new residents since the 2020 Census.

A bedroom community to our capital county of Wake, Harnett boasts a slower-paced lifestyle and a more rural vibe. You can still drive through Harnett and see cows, horses, goats, and a menagerie of other animals and crops. Harnett County represents the heart of central North Carolina, also bordered by Johnston, Sampson, Cumberland, Hoke, Moore, and Lee counties.

We see the growth in our infrastructure, when you’re trying to get a DMV appointment or driving in our metropolitan areas, which now have traffic concerns that didn’t exist before. You’ll see it riding through rural areas where a series of developers have laid claim to what was once farmland or green spaces. The reminders of growth are present in the litter on the roadways, which was never as terrible as it is now. According to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, “Between 2023 and 2024, 87 North Carolina counties experienced population growth. Notably, five of the nation’s 75 fastest-growing counties are in the state: Brunswick (14th), Franklin (52nd), Johnston (69th), Harnett (72nd), and Iredell (73rd).”

As Harnett grows, one important thing we can do is also look back. This reflection is timely as we celebrate the United States Semiquincentennial, also called the Bisesquicentennial, the Sestercentennial, America 250, or the Quarter Millennium. It will be the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. While not a signer, Corneilous Harnett was an influential figure in the Revolution and the namesake of one of the centrally located and fastest growing counties, Harnett.

Details from America250.nc.gov outline his powerful impact. Cornelius Harnett (1723-1781) served North Carolina as a statesman and champion for independence during the Revolutionary War. Born in Chowan County to an Irish immigrant family, he built his early success as a Cape Fear merchant before entering politics in Wilmington in 1750.

Harnett rose to prominence by opposing the 1765 Stamp Act, helping to form the Sons of Liberty in Wilmington, and championing states’ rights. As chair of the committee that produced the 1776 Halifax Resolves, he helped make North Carolina the first colony to call for full independence from Britain. He later assisted in drafting the state’s first constitution. Corneilous Harnett served in the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1780 but was captured during a British raid on Wilmington in 1781 and died shortly after his release. Harnett County, established in 1855, honors this legacy of leadership and commitment to independence.

The motto of Harnett County is, “Strong Roots, New Growth.” Corneilous Harnett was never a resident or visitor of Harnett County. During his time, it would have still been a part of Cumberland County, becoming an independent county in 1855. Corneilous Harnett, in keeping with our contemporary values, honored his roots as an American and encouraged independence and growth. As the growth continues, let us never forget those who came before us and laid a path towards liberty and justice for all.

Flint Still Reckons With Water Crisis Fallout More Than A Decade Later

Jordan Meadows — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:00:00 +0000

By Jordan Meadows

Staff Writer

Flint, Michigan’s water crisis, now widely recognized as one of the most severe public health failures in modern U.S. history, emerged from a convergence of long‑standing environmental neglect, economic decline and government decision‑making that prioritized cost savings over public safety. Although the crisis captured national attention in 2015 and 2016, subsequent investigations and court proceedings have made clear that its roots stretch back years earlier — and that its consequences continue to shape the city today.

Long before lead was detected in Flint’s drinking water, the city was struggling with deep structural challenges. Once a booming industrial hub and the birthplace of General Motors, Flint’s population peaked at nearly 200,000 in the mid‑20th century. As auto plants closed and jobs disappeared in the late 20th century, residents moved away, property values collapsed and the tax base shrank. By the early 2010s, Flint’s population had fallen to about 100,000, a majority of whom were Black, with roughly 40 percent living in poverty and thousands of homes abandoned.

Environmental problems also predated the crisis. The Flint River, which runs through the city, had for more than a century served as a dumping ground for industrial waste, treated and untreated sewage, agricultural runoff and landfill leachate. The river’s poor water quality was well known locally; it was widely rumored to have caught fire on at least two occasions.

In 2011, facing a $25 million budget deficit, Flint was placed under state control by then‑Gov. Rick Snyder. An emergency manager — an unelected official with authority over local policy — was appointed to cut costs. In 2012 and 2013, city and state officials began exploring ways to reduce spending on water service, including ending Flint’s long‑standing contract with the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department.

In April 2013, Flint formally decided to join the Karegnondi Water Authority, which planned to build a new pipeline from Lake Huron. The move was projected to save the region about $200 million over 25 years. Until the pipeline could be completed, officials opted for a temporary water source: the Flint River.

On April 25, 2014, Flint switched its water supply from Detroit’s treated Lake Huron water to the Flint River. Almost immediately, residents complained that their tap water was brown, foul‑smelling and foamy. Tests soon revealed elevated levels of trihalomethanes, E. coli bacteria and, eventually, lead. Despite these warning signs, city and state officials repeatedly assured residents that the water was safe to drink.

What officials failed to do — and later acknowledged — was treat the Flint River water with corrosion‑control chemicals. The river water was significantly more corrosive than Detroit’s water, and without proper treatment it ate away at the protective lining inside aging lead pipes. Microscopic lead particles then leached into the drinking water in thousands of homes and businesses.

As the city remained on Flint River water for 18 months, the damage worsened. Later studies showed that the switch contributed to a doubling — and in some neighborhoods a tripling — of elevated blood lead levels among Flint children. High lead exposure is particularly dangerous for children and pregnant women, and is associated with learning disabilities, behavioral problems and long‑term cognitive harm.

The water crisis was compounded by a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease between June 2014 and October 2015. The outbreak sickened at least 87 people and killed 12, becoming the third‑largest Legionnaires’ outbreak ever recorded in the United States. Public health experts later linked the outbreak to failures in water treatment and insufficient chlorine levels in Flint’s distribution system.

It was not until October 16, 2015 — after months of citizen complaints, independent testing by researchers and reporting by journalists — that Flint switched back to Detroit’s water system. By then, however, the city’s pipes were so corroded that lead continued to contaminate drinking water even after the source was changed.

In early 2016, President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Flint, and bottled water and filters were distributed to residents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that nearly 100,000 Flint residents had been exposed to lead. Criminal charges were later brought against several state and local officials in connection with the crisis, though those cases were eventually dismissed.

A coalition that included Flint resident Melissa Mays, Concerned Pastors for Social Action, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the ACLU of Michigan sued city and state officials under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The lawsuits sought safe drinking water, proper testing and treatment, and the replacement of all lead service lines in the city. In November 2016, a federal judge ordered the government to provide every Flint household with either bottled water delivery or properly installed and maintained faucet filters.

In 2021, the state of Michigan agreed to a $626 million settlement resolving most civil lawsuits related to the crisis. The settlement created a compensation fund for more than 26,000 claimants, prioritizing children who were exposed to lead during critical developmental years. Children six and under at the time of the crisis were allocated more than 64 percent of the fund, with some eligible for awards approaching $100,000. Adults with documented injuries, property owners and businesses were also included.

Infrastructure work has also progressed. As of recent court filings, the state reports that more than 11,000 lead pipes have been replaced and over 28,000 properties restored. Roughly 4,000 homes are believed to still have lead service lines, primarily vacant properties or homes whose owners opted out of replacement.