2025 NC Affordable Housing Conference Held In Raleigh

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer The 2025 North Carolina Affordable Housing Conference, held Tuesday and Wednesday in Raleigh, brought together housing professionals, advocates, developers, and policymakers from across the state to address the pressing issues impacting affordable housing in North Carolina. The event kicked off with a keynote address featuring Dr. Jenny Schuetz, Vice President of Infrastructure and Housing at Arnold Ventures. Schuetz, a former senior fellow at Brookings Metro

SAU Mourns Historian & Alumnus

Saint Augustine's University (SAU) joins with the global community of scholars, historians, educators, and alumni to mourn the passing of Dr. Quintard Taylor (December 11, 1948 - September 21, 2025), a truly distinguished class of 1969 alumnus whose life's work elevated Black history, expanded access to knowledge, and inspired countless minds. Dr. Taylor earned his B.A. in American History from Saint Augustine's College (now university) in 1969 before pursuing graduate degrees

North Carolina Railroad Company Helps Businesses Get Back on Track

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] (Courtesy of NCRR)[/caption] RALEIGH, N.C.-- One year after Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina is rebuilding with help from the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR). Through its award-winning Back-on-Track Disaster Recovery Program, NCRR invested $8.2 million to support local businesses, restore rail infrastructure and strengthen communities. "Back-on-Track is more than a grant; it's a commitment to North Carolina's people and economy," said Carl Warren, NCRR's president and CEO."

With Stores Closing, Durham Senior Facility Fights Hunger For The Needy

By Greg Childress NC Newsline At the top of Fayetteville Street in Durham, about a mile from the city's bustling downtown, a Walgreen's has closed. It sits idle in a mostly low-income, historic part of town whose prosperous edges are dotted with expensive, modern apartments and homes. Not too far from the empty Walgreen's, the former Heritage Square Shopping Center is also idle. All stores are shuttered. The former retail

A Staircase In A Small Museum Tells A History Of Abuse And Enslavement

By Susanna Ashton and Mollie Barnes  The Conversation From the ages of 12 to about 22, Harriet Jacobs lived under the watch of her enslaver, a wealthy physician named James Norcom Sr. During that decade, as Jacobs grew from a child to a young woman, Norcom psychologically and physically terrorized her. Once, when she was a teenager, he threw her down the stairs of his Edenton, North Carolina house. He

Changing Destinies’ New Leadership

By Jheri Hardaway Staff Writer Pinehurst, NC - Changing Destinies Ministry is proud to announce that Renee Cassidy has been named Executive Director, effective September 23, 2025. She succeeds Kym Nixon, who will continue her service as President and co-founder of the ministry. Under Nixon's leadership, Changing Destinies Ministry (CDM) has grown from a vision into a life-changing refuge for survivors of human trafficking. With the support of nearly 450

Black SEL Hub Launches in Durham

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer On Thursday morning at Hillside High School, a historically Black high school in Durham,  students, educators, and community members came together to unveil the nation's first Black Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Liberation Hub. Founded by Kristen Hopkins-Vincent after nearly a decade of development, the Black SEL Hub is a prevention-focused space designed to affirm, uplift, and empower Black students through social-emotional learning and liberation. Hillside

Medicaid Standoff Could Put Healthcare For Many At Risk

By Jaymie Baxley North Carolina Health News Efforts to prevent cuts that could significantly lower reimbursement to providers for services for North Carolinians on Medicaid stalled last week amid a three-way standoff between the state's Senate, House of Representatives and governor. Lawmakers are at odds over dueling proposals to fully fund the state's Medicaid rebase, an annual budget adjustment that accounts for changes in the number of people enrolled in

Wounded Knee Medals Sparks Outrage In Many Native American Communities

(AP)-Native American communities that had long wanted the removal of military honors for the soldiers involved in the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre had their hopes dashed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in his effort to root out what he calls a "woke culture" in the armed forces. "The era of politically correct, overly sensitive, 'don't-hurt-anyone's-feelings' leadership ends right now at every level," Hegseth said Tuesday to hundreds of military officials

The African Diaspora Film Festival Returns to Chapel Hill

By Jordan Meadows Staff Writer Last Thursday, the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History at UNC-Chapel Hill hosted an edition of its Diaspora Festival of Black and Independent Film, continuing a tradition that began in 2004. Since its inception as a film series, the festival has grown into an essential cultural event, spotlighting stories from across the African diaspora and offering a platform for independent