BLACK ISSUES FORUM: Local and National Topics Leading to 2024 Elections

A look at topics impacting our decisions for 2024 elections. Plus, renewed debate about monuments and our country’s history of slavery raises a question: are we’re preserving history or our future? Host Kenia Thompson discusses these topics and more with Immanuel Jarvis, chairman of the Durham County GOP; columnist Mary C. Curtis (Roll Call); and Brett Chambers, lecturer at NC Central University.

Statues come down, while barriers to truth are erected

In Charlottesville, Va., where a Unite the Right gathering of neo-Nazis, white supremacists, Lost Cause devotees and other angry history deniers left destruction and death in their path in 2017, there was a different scene this past weekend.

The city removed statues of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, memorials to those who fought on the losing side of a Civil War to maintain the brutal and murderous institution of slavery. They were erected as monuments to white supremacy, not in the 1860s but the 1920s, a Jim Crow threat to Black citizens to “know their place.”

Now, as then, there are those opposed to this bit of progress, with arguments that removing the stone idols would mean erasing history, which is ridiculous since that history will never disappear from books, museums and tall tales handed down by the “never forget” brigade.

Ironically, many of these same folks would be only too glad to forget what really happened, during that bloody Civil War and in the 100 years after — the ingenious laws and policies that continue to reverberate through everything from health care to housing.

Black Issues Forum: A Tense Trial, Building Broadband & the Filibuster’s Future

WTVD reporter Tim Pulliam and “Roll Call” columnist and host of the “Equal Time” podcast Mary C. Curtis join Black Issues Forum to discuss the start of Derek Chauvin’s trial, Pres. Biden’s new infrastructure plan, the racial component to the fight over the filibuster, possible redistricting changes in North Carolina, and a new lawsuit targeting a Confederate monument.

Airing: 04/02/21

Mary C. Curtis: Confederate Monument Controversy

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.

POLITICAL WRAP: Trump Campaign “Culture War” Strategy; A New Silent Majority?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – President Trump, at Mount Rushmore on Friday night, set the stage for a campaign increasingly focused on “culture war” issues.

“Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values, and indoctrinate our children,” the President said.

So, is the appeal of a “culture war” campaign too narrow?

Or is there a Nixon-esque “Silent Majority,” as the President is saying, ready to show up in November?

Click above for more with our political contributor, Mary C. Curtis.

POLITICAL WRAP: Confederate Monument Controversy

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 Talks News Roundup: Facebook Data, School Safety, CMS Segregation

The Facebook data scandal finds its way to North Carolina. Republican senator Thom Tillis used the company at the center of the uproar, Cambridge Analytica, to target voters, as did the state Republican Party.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox offers a glimpse at post-Parkland security measures, as state lawmakers begin examining school safety.

A new report labels CMS the most racially-segregated school system in North Carolina, and says income-based segregation in the district is up sharply.

Mike Collins leads a discussion on the week’s news with our reporters roundtable.

GUESTS

David Boraks, reporter, WFAE

Glenn Burkins, editor and publisher, Q City Metro

Mary C. Curtis, columnist, Roll Call (@mcurtisnc3)

Ann Doss Helms, education reporter, The Charlotte Observer 

Charlotte Talks Friday News Roundup: Eclipse Recap; Mayoral Debate; Confederate Monuments In NC

We all turned our eyes (protected, of course) to the skies to watch the solar eclipse on Monday. We’ll talk about local reaction to what we saw, especially in the prime viewing areas.

Most of Charlotte’s candidates for mayor participated in a Tuesday night debate—we’ll break down where they came down on issues like the I-77 tolls, and more.

Redistricting is in the news once again as new legislative district maps are released around the state to comply with a Supreme Court order that found that many North Carolina legislative districts were illegal racial gerrymanders. We’ll get a reaction from around the state.

Following the clash in Charlottesville, events continued around the nation, and here in Charlotte and around the state organized by a variety of different groups. In addition to those events, the president continued to defend his initial comments on the violence that happened in Charlottesville when he attended a rally in Phoenix.

And Wells Fargo employees in Charlotte and elsewhere are bracing for more negative headlines amid the account scandal review- we’ll update you on that.

Guests:

Tom BullockWFAE reporter.

Mary C. Curtis, columnist at Roll Call and a contributor to other publications including WCCB News Rising and NBCBLK.

Erik Spanberg, senior staff writer at the Charlotte Business Journal.

Ann Doss Helms, reporter for The Charlotte Observer.

Opinion: A Partial Eclipse of Bad News

Celestial event didn’t blot out Confederate statue stain