Award-winning columnist, writer, speaker and editor
CHARLOTTE, NC — Over the last few weeks we’ve seen the removal of confederate monuments across the United States.
Here in North Carolina, the controversial “fame’ statue was removed from downtown Salisbury.
In Gaston county, a panel is having talks this week to decide the future of a confederate statue outside the courthouse.
Here’s WCCB Political contributor Mary C. Curtis with more on the debate.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The debate over a mask mandate, just one part of how the coronavirus pandemic is becoming increasingly political.
Our political contributor Mary C. Curtis has more on the recent spike in cases we’re seeing in the South, and the strategies for the presidential campaigns, as we move closer to November.
The death of George Floyd and the unrest that exploded across the country has forced a conversation on the table. It’s a wake-up call for America to examine the impact of racism and reckon with injustices people of color face daily. Every Black American has a story to tell. Is the country ready to listen? Award-winning columnist Mary C. Curtis sits down with fellow Charlotteans of color to share some of those stories and reflect on this moment.
Host:
Mary C. Curtis, journalist, speaker, columnist at CQ Roll Call, and contributor to WFAE, WCCB-TV and a variety of national outlets. She is senior facilitator with The OpEd Project.
Panelists:
Tracey Benson, assistant professor of educational leadership at UNC Charlotte and author of “Unconscious Bias in Schools: A Developmental Approach to Exploring Race and Racism.”
Justin Perry, owner and therapist at Perry Counseling Healing and Recovery. He is a partner with the group Charlotte for Black Futures
Tonya Jameson, political consultant, former Charlotte Observer reporter
Leondra Garrett, native Charlottean and longtime community advocate who works with the groups Block Love Charlotte and United Neighborhoods of Charlotte to build community and feed our homeless neighbors.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – President Trump is speaking out about the removal of monuments.
“The unhinged left-wing mob is trying to vandalize our history, desecrate our monuments, our beautiful monuments,” the President said during a rally on Saturday night.
It comes as Governor Roy Cooper orders the removal of Confederate monuments in Raleigh, citing public safety concerns.
Our political contributor Mary C. Curtis has more on the debate surrounding monuments and other Confederate symbols.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time, especially for a city that wants to be world class. Charlotte would join that list of cities to have hosted both Democratic and Republican national conventions. Its hotels and restaurants and streets would be bustling. Its arena would be filled with crowds, greeting the acceptance speech of repeat GOP standard-bearer Donald Trump, guaranteed grabber of headlines (and other things, as the Access Hollywood video attests).
And the world would be watching.
Well, the world is watching, all right, as what was a somewhat grudging but eventually accommodating relationship has deteriorated into sniping and bickering, with a nasty split on the horizon.
As usual, the catalyst for the acrimony was Trump himself.
CHARLOTTE, NC — Calls for police reform continue to grow in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis two weeks ago.
WCCB political contributor Mary C. Curtis discusses the changes happening on the local level and across the country.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Monday night, Charlotte City Council will talk about the use of chemical agents on protesters.
It comes as the SBI is looking into tactics officers used on Tuesday night.
Also, how protests for racial justice across the country are now getting worldwide attention.
Click above for more with WCCB Charlotte Political Contributor Mary C. Curtis.
Charlotte has faced several days of protests, both peaceful and violent, after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. The protests have involved clashes with CMPD and many complaints about how the police have handled the protesters, but several police officers hope to have constructive conversation with the protesters. Thousands have hit the streets of Charlotte to protest, from Beatties Ford Road to uptown to Myers Park. We’ll talk through the demonstrations, the protesters, the chaos and the police response.
President Trump and the Republican National Committee are exploring other cities to hold the RNC this year, after Trump said this week that he’d move the convention out of Charlotte. We’ll talk about Gov. Roy Cooper’s negotiations with the RNC about having a safe convention in the midst of the pandemic and what options there still are to hold a part of the convention in the city.
We’ll give the latest on the coronavirus, as officials worry that the protests in Charlotte and the recent Phase 2 opening will result in a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Plus, we’ll have an update on the Mecklenburg County budget, which was approved this week, forcing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. We’ll have more on the discussions at that meeting as well.
Guests:
Erik Spanberg, managing editor at the Charlotte Business Journal
Glenn Burkins, founder and publisher of QCityMetro.com
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com and WCCB
Ann Doss Helms, WFAE education reporter
CHARLOTTE, NC — President Donald Trump says the Republican National Convention will be looking for another host for its convention in late August.
Governor Roy Cooper isn’t planning to ease social distancing guidelines for a full-scale convention.
Here’s our political contributor Mary C. Curtis with the latest on the controversy.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — People across the country are pushing for criminal justice reform in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of a now ex-police officer in Minneapolis.
WCCB Political Contributor, Mary C. Curtis has more on the nationwide call to action and the frustrations from fellow Americans.
