CHARLOTTE, NC — North Carolina lawmakers are considering revisions to House Bill 2 to keep next year’s NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte. The legislation does not throw out transgender bathroom regulations, which has some activists asking the NBA not to support the so-called compromise. WCCB political contributor, Mary C. Curtis, breaks down the draft bill.
Archives for June 2016
HB2 Changes in North Carolina and the 2017 NBA All-Star Game
Jun292016
Roll Call Columnists on SCOTUS Abortion, McDonnell Decisions
Every presidential election, one side or other has tried, mostly in vain, to make appointments to the Supreme Court a major issue. With the present court’s rulings on controversial issues announced to a divided country — to reactions of shock and celebration, depending on which side you’re on — 2016 may be different.
Jun282016
The GOP’s Civil Rights Amnesia
When the face of your opposition on any issue is John Lewis, you need to choose your words carefully: “Publicity stunt” probably should not be the go-to phrase.
Congressman Lewis, a Democrat representing Georgia, brings with him a moral gravity because of his courageous place in the country’s progress toward equality.
But it is very clear in the response of House Speaker Paul D. Ryan to the sit-in on the floor of the House over an impasse in gun control legislation that the Republican from Wisconsin is not a student of history – that of his esteemed and respected colleague, his country or his own party.
Jun272016
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Announces Changes for Transgender Students
CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is following the lead of the University of North Carolina system by passing new regulations for their transgender students. The move is not a statement against North Carolina’s controversial HB2 says CMS Superintendent Ann Clark. WCCB Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis stops by to weigh in on the bathroom changes happening throughout the school district.
Jun222016
Report on UNITY Diversity Caucus: ‘Straightwashing’ the Orlando Tragedy
It was probably the first time journalists from a variety of news organizations collectively discussed last weekend’s mass shooting in Orlando that left 49 victims dead. The 70 people present for the third Unity Diversity Caucus Friday in Washington picked up a word new to most, “straightwashing.”
Jun212016
The Deal Donald Trump Couldn’t Close
Way back in 1999, when Donald Trump was toying with the idea of a presidential run, he was asked who would be a good vice president on a Trump ticket and cited Oprah Winfrey, calling her “very special.” Just last year, he repeated that choice, saying that together, the two would win “easily.” It would be the showman’s dream. Celebrity meets celebrity.
Well, Oprah Winfrey is taken now. She has endorsed Hillary Clinton, and that, as Trump would say, is huge. Next to her, other Clinton celebrity endorsers, including George Clooney, look like chopped liver.
Jun202016
Women of LatinaCon Signal Rising Sway of Hispanic Voices in the South
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When the importance of the Hispanic vote is dissected, states such as Nevada, New Mexico and Florida always make the list. North Carolina, a battleground state both sides crave to win, hardly gets a mention. But in a region still thought of as black and white, the Hispanic voice and voting population are growing.
That was clear at a recent gathering in Charlotte of more than 400 Hispanic women — representing all ages and professions, women who have been in America for generations and those newly arrived. What everyone who attended the fourth year of LatinaCon had in common was a desire to be an active part of the community, or as one workshop declared in its title: “What Latinas Need to Do to Be Successful in the United States.”
Jun162016
Anniversary Of Charleston Shooting: The State Of Race Relations
Friday marks one year since the tragic shootings that claimed the lives of nine parishioners at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. The shootings were racially motivated, ignited a nationwide conversation about racism and resulted in the Confederate flag being removed from South Carolina’s Statehouse grounds. But what has been the lasting impact? We look into that with several people including one who lost his sister in that horrible tragedy.
Jun162016
Weighing In on How the Orlando Shootings Are Shaping Campaign 2016
CHARLOTTE, NC — Presidential hopefuls are starting to weigh in following the deadliest mass killing on U.S. soil since 9/11. Mary C. Curtis weighs in on how the Orlando shooting is shaping the current political landscape and impacting the race for the White House.
Jun152016
