GOP Support of Canadian Truckers Highlights Hypocrisy of BLM Criticism

Appeared on Black News Channel #Prime with Charles Blow to discuss the endorsement of Canadian truckers’ protest by many Republicans, including Sen. Rand Paul, who called hecklers a ‘crazed mob,’ the same folks who condemned BLM, whose states have been passing laws allowing motorists to run over protesters.

President Trump Prepares For ‘Unconventional’ Republican National Convention in Charlotte Monday

CHARLOTTE – Monday, President Trump is coming to the Queen City.  The President will speak tomorrow at an unconventional RNC.

There will be hundreds of people instead of thousands attending the event because of the pandemic, and also no large-scaled protests.

WCCB Charlotte’s Political Contributor, Mary C. Curtis takes a look at the expectations for the scaled-down RNC for the Republican Party, and for the City of Charlotte.

‘There are no degrees of separation’ — How the Charleston church shooting looms over the current racial justice debate

It’s been five years since the deadly, racist-motivated shooting at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina But the scars are still present in the current debate over racial justice, Black Lives Matter and the legacy of white supremacist ideology.

CQ Roll Call columnist Mary C. Curtis talks to Political Theater about how the tragedy in Charleston still resonates as the United States grapples with its ugly history.

How Do We Bridge the Political and Racial Divide in America? with Mary C. Curtis

Racial tensions are also stoked again thanks to the untimely death of George Floyd. Which brought to surface the work which still needs to be done to bridge the gap of racial division in the country. How will all these issues play in an election year? How do we heal a broken nation?

Charlotte Talks Local News Roundup: Charlotte Protests, CMPD Response; RNC May Leave Charlotte

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 HelmsWFAE education reporter

Systemic racism in America: Who, what, when, why and how

Anger and unrest have spread across the United States over the police killing of yet another unarmed African American. Many protesters are calling for a “healing speech” from U.S. President Donald Trump, tackling racial inequality and police reform head-on. After several nights of the worst unrest in decades, Trump had this message: he is the president of law and order. But will the Trump administration be able to deal with racism at its root cause? How can police brutality in the U.S. be brought to an end? Hear the views of diverse experts from four major cities in the United States.

Chaos is all Trump has, as he hopes ‘law and order’ appeal will work in GOP’s favor

The Queen of Soul sang it clearly. The “Respect” Aretha Franklin was craving — yes, demanding — in that classic is still in short supply for black Americans. More protesters have been arrested than police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, the black Minneapolis man who died after now-former officer Derek Chauvin held his knee on the handcuffed man’s neck for nearly nine minutes while three fellow officers stood by or assisted.

Would there have been protests across the country and the world if Chauvin and his fellow officers had been charged immediately? There is no way to know for sure. But it is clear that the anguished reaction has been about much more than the death of one man, and has been generations in the making.

SPJNE Zoom Series – Branden Hunter & Haisten Willis on Covering George Floyd Protests

The New England PRO Chapter hosted a discussion with Detroit Free Press reporter Branden Hunter and Washington Post freelancer Haisten Willis on covering protests on police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s killing. Moderated by Roll Call columnist Mary C. Curtis. Filmed on June 4, 2020.

Has a pandemic changed America or revealed its heart?

On the same day, it was two very different scenes from Michigan.

The Detroit funeral last week of 5-year-old Skylar Madison Herbert, the young victim of COVID-19, received some notice, though in days that followed, other victims rapidly filled the screen and news pages. Yet it was impossible to forget young Skylar’s beautiful face, soulful eyes and enchanting smile. Thinking that she would never again get to dress up in the Disney princess dresses and her mom’s high heels that family members said she favored, or grow up to fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatric dentist — well, how could your heart not ache?

All that joy, all that potential stopped by a virus.

POLITICAL WRAP: Soleimani Imminent Threat; Protests in Iran Over Downed Plane

CHARLOTTE, NC — Dueling narratives over the strike that killed Qassem Soleimani. The White House, defending the strike against Iran’s top military leader, while democrats question whether there was actually an “imminent threat.”

Also, thousands of demonstrators continue to protest the Iranian government, after officials admitted the country mistakenly shot down a Ukrainian passenger jet.

Click above for more with WCCB Charlotte political contributor Mary C. Curtis.