Donald Trump stirred up a bunch of angry White people, asked them to storm the Capitol building, and disrupt a Constitutional proceeding. It was a sickening sight to see as these Trump sycophants breached a secure area, yelling and creating chaos. No, I’m not describing the siege on January …
Four years ago, Hillary Clinton made a statement that backfired on her. While enjoying a comfortable lead in the polls, she showed disdain for Trump supporters by referring to them as “Deplorables.” Not surprisingly, that slur served to motivate millions of folks to show up on Election Day a…
When 18-year-old Deon Kay left his home in Congress Heights, D.C., on Sept. 2, 2020, he was a brother, an athlete, and an enthusiastic student— one who “was creating plans for his future.” Within hours, he was shot down by Southeast Washington police for brandishing a weapon inside a vehicle…
In the annuals of pop culture there have been three great debates: Coke or Pepsi? Ford or Chevy? Ginger or Mary Ann? The answers to the first two questions may never be settled, but the third is a no-brainer. The overwhelming majority of men and women everywhere prefer girl-next-door Mary An…
As I sit here and pen my last "Letter From the Editor" I am thinking of lyrics from the anti-war, biblical Byrds' bop, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"
"The Educated Youth" is my descriptor for a subset of the population of contemporary young people. By “young,” I mean those ranging in age from teenagers to their mid-thirties. “Educated” indicates those sufficiently informed on both marginalized communities and policy procedures to comprehe…
Raleigh, NC - Today, Governor Roy Cooper appointed left wing political hack Darren Jackson to fill conservative jurist Phil Berger’s seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals following his election to the Supreme Court. In a record turnout election, North Carolina voters chose conservative…
Adoptee Strainer
Sitting here on the eve of the eve of New Year’s Eve, reminiscing on the collective shit show this year has been for everyone in the country, state, and Triad is definitely a bummer. But things certainly could have been a lot worse for both Ian and me. That is the thing about our white, cisg…
Looking back on 2020, no one would disagree that COVID-19 was the biggest story of the year, but for much of the first quarter, it wasn’t a story at all. We began the year with President Trump being impeached for alleged abuse of power. Not surprisingly, the Republican controlled-Senate vot…
There’s never a dull moment in Tenet, a globe-trotting, hi-tech, time-tripping action blow-out from writer/producer/director Christopher Nolan – but there are plenty of confusing ones.
As the nation begins to wind down from an exhausting Trump-era administration where chaos, contradiction, and following the rule of law has been subject to interpretation, is it any wonder why local Democratic voters are shocked and appalled at the most recent turn of events in local politics?
Governor Cooper just can’t seem to win for losing these days. The North Carolina Democratic Governor is popular with ordinary citizens, but not so much within the bar and restaurant community. The industry blames him for a wide range of woes since being placed under restrictions enacted in M…
Congressional leaders have been negotiating another round of stimulus for nine months and finally struck a deal on a massive package this week. Republicans and Democrats have been mired in partisan gridlock for most of the year on points most important to their respective caucus. Congress pa…
This past weekend, Winston-Salem-based wedding venue, The Warehouse on Ivy, located at 1245 Ivy Ave., declined to host a lesbian couple’s marriage ceremony.
Cooper Administration Demands Unemployment Benefits Back Right Before Christmas
It’s that time of year again for predictions about the upcoming year. In my case, of course, these will be forecasts for the economy. Here are seven predictions I think have a reasonably good chance of happening in 2021.
Party-going restrictions of COVID-19 notwithstanding, this holiday season is still the perfect time to remind folks not to drink and drive. Unfortunately, it’s a reminder that needs to be uttered in every season. That’s because, according to the Centers for Disease Control, intoxicated drive…
Small independently owned restaurants are facing an extinction level event as we move deeper into colder months and the coronavirus spread reaches all-time highs. Without immediate financial aid, over 75% of the state’s 19,504 eating and drinking locations are in danger of closing permanently.
When I announced North Carolina had its first known COVID case on March 3rd, most of us didn’t expect to be living like this in December. Instead of preparing for beloved holiday traditions, we’re making virtual gathering plans and mourning the loss of more than 290,000 Americans from COVID-19.
As we do our best to celebrate this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who are suffering, and could benefit from our love and generosity.
I applaud President-Elect Biden for moving quickly to create his own COVID Task Force, and for stacking it with people who actually know about and recognize science. Among other things, the task force is assessing the development of effective vaccines, and making plans for distribution and a…
She’s your star student: the quiet teenager hunched over an SAT prep book in the back of a loud classroom, her schedule loaded with AP classes (all of which she is undoubtedly acing) and extracurricular activities. She’s your neighborhood tiger mom: the middle-aged lady rushing her children …
Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I'm not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinski, or Donald Trump calling neo-Nazis “very fine people.”
Dear Mayor Joines, Mayor Pro Tem Adams, City Council members, and City Manager Lee Garrity,
Dear Dr. Moore, Mr. Winslow, and Dr. Taylor:
Featured photo: Screenshot of Megan Thee Stallion's powerful, Oct. 3 performance on Saturday Night Live.
Not too many years ago, North Carolina was considered to be a politically inconsequential state. That’s because our voting patterns were predictable, and our presidential primaries were held so late that we hardly ever figured into the nominating process. But as our population grew in both n…
Black and Brown transwomen are dying at an alarming rate in this “great” country. In 2020 alone, 36 trans people— 27 of which were identified as Black and Latinx— have been violently killed, marking an all-time high in fatal violence against trans folks since the Human Rights Campaign began …
Soon after the polls closed, I emailed YES! Weekly publisher Charles Womack and editor Katie Murawski to let them know I would not be turning in a column for this week’s paper. For one thing, I wanted to write about how our state performed on Election Day, but since military and overseas bal…
In May 2018, The Broad Center—a nationally respected organization that develops and assists educators— published a report titled, “Superintendents stay in their jobs longer than we think.” That report concluded that an average school superintendent’s tenure is six years.
Thanks to this year’s legislative exercise in gerrymandering, the newly formed 13th congressional district now stretches across all or part of 10 counties, including Alamance, Caswell, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Iredell, Lee, Person, Randolph, and Rowan. What hasn’t changed is the political m…
GUILFORD COUNTY, NC— State Senate Candidate Sebastian King (R-Guilford) is advocating for legislative solutions for those who have been impacted the most by the Coronavirus. While King’s opponent sits in his 3/4 of a million dollar home, continuing to be out of touch with the community, King…
“The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray,” so wrote Robert Burns, a Scottish poet who, in 1786 was imagining North Carolina’s 2020 race for United States Senate.
Governor Cooper’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice, led by Attorney General Josh Stein and NC Supreme Court Associate Justice Anita Earls, will submit their recommendations by December 1, 2020. Their final recommendations must address the more than 185,000 arrests for marijua…
Like so many others, I have watched with dismay the will of the people of North Carolina subverted because of the gerrymandering inflicted upon us by the Republican controlled General Assembly. We have been living with voting maps that don’t offer us fair representation and deliberately igno…
The coronavirus pandemic has not been easy on any of us. We have all made sacrifices, big and small, to flatten the curve and protect our communities from the virus. But looking at the data, it is clear that the burden of this pandemic has fallen most heavily on communities of color in North…
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. – October 7, 2020 – The Vote S.M.A.R.T campaign announced today a diverse list of Guilford County businesses, organizations and nonprofits that have officially endorsed the Vote S.M.A.R.T campaign whose goal is the passing of the $300 million school bond on the ballot i…
This year, the news media has been focused on the Presidential election, and understandably so. Here in North Carolina, we’ve also been bombarded with ads about candidates for Congress, Senate, and State legislature. But ask most people who’s running for State Insurance Commissioner, and you…
Most recent visit: Sept. 23
These same registered voters are more likely to gain information from TV, internet and radio ads.
Oct. 9 is the last day to register to vote in North Carolina. After this Friday, eligible voters can still register, but they must do so in person at one-stop polling sites during the early voting period, which is Oct. 15-Oct. 31. Why am I telling you this? Because, dear readers, this electi…
Winston-Salem, NC – U.S. Term Limits (USTL), the leader in the national, non-partisan movement to limit terms for elected officials, is gathering support from state lawmakers across the nation. Its mission is to get 34 states to apply for an amendment proposal convention specific to term lim…
Greensboro’s Scuppernong Books, which opened seven years ago at 304 S. Elm St., isn’t going anywhere in the real world but is leaving a major part of the virtual one. Steve Mitchell recently told YES! Weekly that he and co-owner Brian Lampkin are largely done with Facebook.
GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. – September 16, 2020 – A diverse group of business, civic and community leaders in Guilford County today launched the Vote S.M.A.R.T campaign to generate support for the school bond referendum included on this fall’s ballot.
“Kids. I don’t understand what’s wrong with these kids today. Kids. Who can understand anything they say? Kids. You can talk and talk ‘till your face is blue, but they still do just what they want to do.”
OK, with a title like Uncle Peckerhead, it’s fairly obvious that this is not a film that will win any Academy Awards. And, once you learn what it’s about, it’s not so much obvious as certain.
Welcome to our favorite issue of the year, The Triad’s Best! As many of you may know, this is our biggest issue all year, and something we spend several months working on. This year, exactly 166,410 votes were cast by nearly 30,000 people—setting a new record for participation! People from a…
On the 48th night of #OccupyWSNC, the Triad Abolition Project announced that their demands had been met by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office and that the almost two-month occupation of Bailey Park would end on Sept. 1.