CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As we wrap up 2014, we’re looking ahead to the new year with our political contributor Mary C. Curtis. Curtis lays out what Charlotte needs – or wants – under the Christmas tree this holiday, starting with unity within Mecklenburg County’s Board of County Commissioners.
Archives for December 2014
What Charlotte Needs Under the Christmas Tree
Dec242014
Will holiday filmgoers remember or care about Sony’s insulting e-mails?
Whether fans of the celebrities insulted in snarky, leaked e-mails will decide to punish Sony Pictures Entertainment by withholding box-office dollars might be the least of the beleaguered company’s problems. But it is a problem in our entertainment-hungry society, where competition for attention and audience is fierce.
Dec232014
7 Stories You Should Have Paid More Attention To In 2014
As 2014 winds down, we want to learn about the stories that didn’t make the headlines. It’s hard to say what qualifies as an underreported story, but here are some suggestions from smart people we know. …
6. Jonathan Ferrell
“I think that the name of Jonathan Ferrell, the young man killed by police officer Randall Kerrick in Charlotte, N.C., is too often left off of the sad roll call of unarmed, African-American men shot by authorities. We will certainly hear more in 2015 as Kerrick goes on trial unlike in so many other cases of no indictment. This story also points to how a southern city is ahead of New York in this case, though protests continue and citizens are watching. Stay tuned.”
— Mary C. Curtis @MCurtisnc3, multimedia journalist in Charlotte, N.C.
Dec222014
In a police shooting case in Charlotte, fewer headlines but familiar call for justice
CHARLOTTE — Now it’s Charlotte’s turn in an unwanted spotlight. The story is familiar – white police officer, unarmed black man, a shooting and the one without the gun dead in the street. Loved ones grieve, a mother holds a Winnie the Pooh doll from a childhood not too many years past and protesters demand action.
Charlotte is not Ferguson, Mo., or New York City – not this time. Randall Kerrick, the 28-year-old officer who killed 24-year-old Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter. And now the public waits for a resolution. Kerrick made his first, brief court appearance on Thursday. The next is scheduled for early next year – this will take a while.
Dec122014
Racial Profiling Concerns in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Racial profiling in Charlotte is an issue picking up steam this week. WCCB’s political contributor, Mary C. Curtis joins Terrance Bates on Rising to add perspective to the debate as it relates to Jonathan Ferrell, Eric Garner and Mike Brown.
Dec102014
Feuding Commissioners Leave Local Voters Questioning Leadership
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Heated exchanges, low blows and all-around dysfunction. That’s how you could describe the past two nights for Mecklenburg County Commissioners. This happened after commissioners broke tradition and appointed Trevor Fuller as Chair of the Board. WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis joined Rising with more on the political fallout.
Dec032014
Though others may judge, Janay Rice tells her story her way
Now the woman who has become a symbol, who inspired “Why I Stayed” and “Why I Left” hash tags, is telling her side of the story. It’s understandable.
Dec012014
