PHOTOS: Pain, Anger And Violence Fill Streets Of Charlotte, N.C.

Signs, rocks, tear gas, fireworks, broken glass, blood: The streets of Charlotte, N.C., have borne witness to days of unrest after a fatal police shooting on Tuesday.

Two nights of protests have included peaceful calls for unity as well as violence and destruction. On Wednesday night, a civilian was shot at a protest and now, city officials say, is on life support.

Voting Restrictions Won’t ‘Make America Great Again’

Donald Trump plans to take his black voter “outreach” to a predominantly African-American audience with a visit to Detroit this weekend, perhaps to quell criticism that his recent speeches about African-Americans have been delivered primarily to whites. That was certainly true during his August stop in Charlotte, N.C., where he began tailoring his message to black voters, who have been roundly rejecting him at the polls.

“If African-Americans give Donald Trump a chance by giving me their vote,” he said, “the result will be amazing.” The Republican presidential candidate cast Democrats and their nominee Hillary Clinton as the true bigots, who “have taken African-American votes totally for granted.”

But Trump’s inclusive Charlotte takeaway — one that seemed geared to the diverse, more progressive “New South” city — has been undermined by a series of clumsy and insulting overtures, and by his and his party’s support for tactics that could remind many black voters of the old South.

Pope Francis Inspires Black Catholics, Despite Complicated Church History On Race

Every time Pope Francis washes the feet of prisoners, embraces an orphan, speaks of social justice and “the least of these,” it reflects the Catholic Church as I would like it to be, the church of the Scriptures. Pope Francis has not altered doctrine or dogma; yet words and deeds have their own kind of power. His U.S. itinerary includes stops at a Harlem school and a Philadelphia correctional facility. It’s a visit that may bring me closer to a faith that has not always been so welcoming to black Catholics like me.

Charlotte’s Trial: How Jonathan Ferrell’s Death Put A City’s Self-Image At Risk

When Jonathan Ferrell knocked on a stranger’s door after a car crash in Charlotte, N.C., he was probably disoriented and looking for help. The stranger’s frantic 911 call after she saw a black man at her door brought the police, including Randall Kerrick. What happened next is now being argued in a Charlotte courtroom. But as the white former police officer goes on trial for voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of the unarmed 24-year-old, a city’s image will be on trial as well.

The State of Race Relations In The South

The recent shootings at a Charleston church that appear to have been racially motivated along with a series of African-Americans who have lost their lives at the hands of police have re-opened this country’s on-again, off-again conversation on race. Have we ever acknowledged the true nature of the racial tension that seems to grip the country? Can we hold an open, honest conversation on the topic? Is the South’s relationship with race any different from that of the rest of the country?

Guests
Mary C. Curtis – Journalist who covers politics, culture and race, contributor to many media outlets, including NPR, The Washington Post, and WCCB-TV Charlotte

Robert Dawkins – Press and Publicity Chair for the Charlotte chapter of the NAACP

Dianne English – Executive Director of Community Building Initiative, a Charlotte non-profit that focuses on issues of equity and diversity

Beyond The Headlines, There’s Much More To West Baltimore

The complexities of Baltimore seem largely out of the reach of the media that descends, as usual, only when certain neighborhoods burn.

7 Stories You Should Have Paid More Attention To In 2014

As 2014 winds down, we want to learn about the stories that didn’t make the headlines. It’s hard to say what qualifies as an underreported story, but here are some suggestions from smart people we know. …

6. Jonathan Ferrell

I think that the name of Jonathan Ferrell, the young man killed by police officer Randall Kerrick in Charlotte, N.C., is too often left off of the sad roll call of unarmed, African-American men shot by authorities. We will certainly hear more in 2015 as Kerrick goes on trial unlike in so many other cases of no indictment. This story also points to how a southern city is ahead of New York in this case, though protests continue and citizens are watching. Stay tuned.”

— Mary C. Curtis @MCurtisnc3, multimedia journalist in Charlotte, N.C.