Race

an image of the new state Senate map

Federal judge denies “meritless” motion to block Senate’s redistricting plan

BY: - November 28, 2023

Efforts to prevent the Republican drawn state Senate redistricting map from being used in the next election cycle suffered a setback Monday. U.S. District Court Judge James C. Dever denied the request by Rodney Pierce of Halifax County and Moses Matthews of Martin County for an expedited briefing and decision in their case that alleges […]

ACLU of North Carolina attorney Michele Delgado

ACLU of NC’s Michele Delgado on the disparity in referrals for disorderly conduct in NC schools

BY: - November 20, 2023

In “The Consequences of Cops in North Carolina Schools,” researchers report that current state law – which grants police broad and vaguely worded authority – has led to a situation in which school-based complaints of disorderly conduct against Black students occur at four times the rate of white kids. In some counties, the numbers were […]

a 1935 map of a restricted neighborhood in Wake County

States grapple with racist language in real estate deeds

BY: - November 17, 2023

Lisa Boccetti is horrified by the restrictive covenant that is in the deed to her 1950s ranch house in Raleigh, North Carolina: It states that the land cannot be sold or occupied by Black people. The property “shall not be sold to negroes or to any person or persons of negro blood, and said premises shall […]

a photo of the Whiteville City Schools Board of Education members

Whiteville school board chairwoman gives up leadership role, but refuses to resign

BY: - November 16, 2023

Kandle Rogers has stepped down as chairwoman of the Whiteville City Schools Board of Education, but said she will not leave the board. As NC Newsline previously reported, the embattled Rogers was found guilty of assaulting a government worker in late August. She also allegedly called the worker, who is Black, a racial slur. “I […]

a photo of a black and gray building with the words "Discovery Charter School" in white lettering

Allegation that charter school student used racial slur, flashed a gun on FaceTime raises concerns

BY: - November 15, 2023

This story contains racist language that might upset some readers. A white seventh-grade boy who attends Discovery Charter School in Durham allegedly called a Black classmate a “monkey” and another racial slur, and then flashed a rifle to several students during a FaceTime chat, Arssante Malone, the father of the Black student, told NC Newsline. […]

COMMENTARY
cartoon illustrations of a red elephant and blue donkey butting heads

The challenge that confronts North Carolina Democrats

BY: - November 9, 2023

The promise of the New South has proven exceedingly unreliable. Led by civic fathers in the industrializing Piedmont, Southerners have long promised the rest of the country that their region would surmount its backwardness and emerge into the national mainstream. Alas, racism and isolation have remained stubbornly persistent, and no matter how giddily optimists proclaim […]

WRAL TV sports anchor Chris Lea discusses the new documentary “Ghosts in the Stadium”

BY: - November 6, 2023

A fascinating new documentary from WRAL TV looks at the hidden and troubling histories of some iconic sports venues in the Carolinas. “Ghosts in the Stadium” explores the sobering legacy of white supremacy at Kenan Stadium at UNC Chapel Hill, Carter-Finely Stadium at NC State, Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and Memorial Stadium at […]

Mahlaynee Cooper speaks on gerrymandering

Black voters removed from a state Senate district where their choices could determine the winner

BY: - November 6, 2023

Sonya Bennetone-Patrick told her cousin she almost fainted when she saw the plan for the New Hanover state Senate district. Predominantly Black precincts in Wilmington were cut away from New Hanover and attached to a Senate district dominated by Brunswick and Columbus counties.  “I’m still sick over it,” Bennetone-Patrick said in an interview. “I’m just […]

Ford F-150 Lightning underbodies at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center are inspected

Local leaders call for auto workers’ gains to spread to EV plants, Southern Black workers

BY: - November 4, 2023

Local Black elected leaders aligned with racial and economic justice groups want to build on the labor gains made through the United Auto Workers’ six-week strike. The union’s tentative deals with the big three automakers include major wins such as a 25% rise in pay and getting rid of the two-tier worker system. More than […]

a red hand on a black background with the words STOP HATE

Monday numbers: what we know — and what we don’t — about hate crimes in America

BY: - October 30, 2023

The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated October Hate Crimes Awareness Month, a time each year to reflect on the large and growing problem of vandalism, intimidation and violence driven by bias toward those of another race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity. The latest FBI report on hate crimes […]

NC Senate districts

Do new NC election district maps treat Black voters fairly? (And, what is “Gingles”?)

BY: - October 25, 2023

Redistricting debates are some of the most jargony going, with frequent talk of “VTDs,” “county groupings,” and references to various court cases.  One of the terms mentioned several times a day at the North Carolina General Assembly is “Gingles.” Gingles is shorthand for a 1986 U.S. Supreme Court decision in a North Carolina redistricting lawsuit.  […]

the cover of the book "Killers of the Flower Moon" is pictured

Oklahomans concerned contentious law impacts teaching of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ history

BY: - October 23, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the movie release of “Killers of the Flower Moon” only days away, questions still persist about Oklahoma schools’ ability to teach the historical events depicted in the film. The source of the uncertainty is House Bill 1775, a 2021 state law regulating classroom discussions on race and gender. Tribal leaders have […]