Charlotte residents have witnessed a second night of violence in the wake of a police shooting of a black man. Reporter Mary C. Curtis tells host Jeb Sharp that although Charlotte’s economy has been booming in recent years, not all sectors of society there have benefited from the growth.
Charlotte, N.C., Police Shooting Echoes 2013 Death Of Jonathan Ferrell
NPR’s Kelly McEvers speaks with Roll Call columnist and Charlotte, N.C., resident Mary C. Curtis about the 2013 police shooting of Jonathan Ferrell, and how it has since affected the community.
Sep222016
Clashes in Charlotte after police-involved shooting
Beverley O’Connor speaks to political commentator Mary C. Curtis about the unrest in Charlotte following the fatal police shooting of a black man.
Sep222016
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.
Sep032016
The Heat: The State of U.S. Race Relations, Part 2
The shooting in the U.S. state of Louisiana was the latest in a month of extraordinary violence and racial tension in the United States.
Investigators said the shooter, an African American marine veteran, ambushed and killed three officers and injured three others before being killed by law enforcement. The incident happened just weeks after police officers in Baton Rouge were caught on camera shooting a black man several times.
The violence has focused renewed attention on how African Americans are treated in the U.S. and the larger issue of race relations.
Jul222016
The Heat: The State of U.S. Race Relations, Part 1
The shooting in the U.S. state of Louisiana was the latest in a month of extraordinary violence and racial tension in the United States.
Investigators said the shooter, an African American marine veteran, ambushed and killed three officers and injured three others before being killed by law enforcement. The incident happened just weeks after police officers in Baton Rouge were caught on camera shooting a black man several times.
The violence has focused renewed attention on how African Americans are treated in the U.S. and the larger issue of race relations.
Jul222016
A New American Motto: I Care About Me and Mine
“Drive Like Your Kids Live Here.” The signs have sprouted up around my neighborhood, to plead with those cutting through the narrow streets to just slow down. Though I’m not sure it will work, I recognize the tactic. It seems the only way to gain empathy, charity or a smidgen of decent behavior is to make it personal. While one can understand, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the country if making it personal is the only way to make it right.
Right now though, it seems that’s the major incentive for breaking policy makers out of a partisan mold.
May202016
Even Hillary May Not Find Bill Clinton So Charming Anymore
When President Bill Clinton was winning two elections and presiding over economic boom times, his “Slick Willie” nickname highlighted a penchant for wanting to play all sides to stay on top. He was praised for feeling the pain of Americans and rode into a post presidency on a wave of high approval ratings, but the flaws are evident in his latest forays into his wife’s unexpectedly tough presidential primary campaign.
Though Bill Clinton’s telling off protesters in Philadelphia holding signs and interrupting his speech to remind him of the consequences of his 1994 crime bill may actually help his wife win some voters who believe the demonstrators deserve what he dished out, the image of the red-faced former president wagging a finger and dressing down young activists is not a good look. And his “I almost want to apologize” backtracking was condescending and too cute by half.
Apr112016
