CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In a mostly blue city in a mostly red state, a crowd of several hundred filled a theater for a community conversation called “Voices in the Gun Debate.” It was cordial, which is more than you can say for much of the national dialogue that has NRA leadership and gun control advocates giving little ground in language or policy. But at evening’s end, there weren’t many conversions, either.
Will Obama’s proposals stop black gun violence?
CHARLOTTE – It’s not Newtown, Conn., where a massacre at an elementary school galvanized the nation and spurred Washington to act. Nor has it become a symbol of gun violence like Chicago. In fact, last year in Charlotte, the number of homicides actually decreased to 52, the lowest number in 24 years. But in a 2012 incident that echoes others around the country, a 17-year-old African-American boy here was shot and killed after another teen thought the victim disrespected him in front of a girl. The five young black men charged in his murder were teenagers as well.
So officials and community leaders here are closely watching the national debate over reducing gun violence. And when asked about the president’s proposals, which include a ban on assault weapons, universal background checks and limits on high-capacity magazines, they praise the ideas, but emphasize those are only a partial solution.
Feb062013
Keeping it Positive: Black History Month in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Black History Month is in full swing all throughout Charlotte. Contributions by African-Americans are being preserved as well as celebrated through different events. A Keeping it Positive report highlights all the places you can take part in observing.
Feb062013
Keeping It Positive: Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King
CHARLOTTE, NC: Many people will have Monday off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day. There are many events around town where you can use your free time to learn more about the man who had a dream of racial equality. Mary Curtis previews the King Day parade, presentations at the Harvey B. Gantt Center, the Levine Museum of the New South, and the Pride Magazine Awards.
Jan162013
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory balances hometown expectations, GOP austerity
“He’s got a very difficult balance to strike,’ said Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx. ‘The expectations that are there within his party may not mesh well with the expectations people in this state have.”
Jan102013
Paula Broadwell and the public’s right to know it all
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Decisions she made put Paula Broadwell in the headlines. They put me across the street from her house at 6 o’clock on Monday morning — that’s what I told myself as I stood with a cluster of reporters and photographers looking for signs of life.
Nov202012
For Charlotte neighbors Paula Broadwell and Rielle Hunter, the spotlight’s intense
CHARLOTTE — Just a couple of months ago, Charlotte was enjoying its time in the spotlight, host of a Democratic National Convention that gave the city’s profile a national and international boost. The latest news out of the New South state is just as prominent but in another category altogether.
It involves reporters staking out the upscale Dilworth neighborhood, craving a sighting of resident Paula Broadwell and quizzing acquaintances on every detail in the life of the woman who sent the e-mails that prompted the investigation that ended the career of CIA Director David Petraeus. Already, The Daily Beast has pointed out Broadwell’s proximity in distance and notoriety to Rielle Hunter, the mother of John Edwards’s youngest daughter.
Nov132012
