Yesterday, within the space of a few hours, I found myself being moved to tears by three stories. Today I will share them with you. The first story, “Saving Nina Simone’s Birthplace as an Act of Art and Politics,” is … Continue reading Being Moved
This week I have the good fortune of being at the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival on Virginia Key in Miami, FL. This festival is the sister to the Fingerlakes Grassroots Festival in Trumansburg, NY and the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival … Continue reading Miami and Asheville
This is a belated but still relevant post about last December’s announcement by the Lonely Planet naming Asheville, NC as the “#1 Best in the U.S. Travel 2017 Destination.” With the announcement came this video: Sigh. When it came out, … Continue reading It can be a Lonely Planet when people are rendered invisible
Let’s jump into January! There is a lot going on this month… Upcoming Events: Tips for Teens All month, Firestorm Cafe & Books is giving their tips to Word on the Street. I love Firestorm and I love WOTS! Be sure to … Continue reading Jump Into January
My October piece for the Urban News is about an upcoming event that is being produced by Sheneika Smith of Date My City in partnership with Buncombe County and the UNC Asheville African Americans in WNC Conference (more details on … Continue reading Awesome Events + More
TONIGHT “Last fall, UNC Asheville was gifted more than 1,000 photographs by artist Isaiah Rice, including many shots taken locally from the ’50s to the ’70s. ‘What people will see in these photos is a different Asheville as far as … Continue reading Isaiah Rice Photos, Word on the Street, Southside
The Game is Rigged The devastating cumulative impact of centuries of systemic racism on blacks in this country cannot be underestimated. It is way past time to face the fact that whites have been benefiting from a game that is … Continue reading Asheville, Invest in Black-led Solutions
Last week’s African Americans in WNC conference was as informative, upsetting, inspiring and energizing as I had expected. From Sen. Floyd McKissick, Jr.’s educational and insightful keynote to the presentation of the incredible Isaiah Rice Photography Collection, the conference brought … Continue reading WNC Black History Matters
Not to be missed! From UNC Asheville’s website: The second annual African Americans in Western North Carolina Conference will be held Oct. 22-23, 2015 at the YMI Cultural Center and UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Union. The two-day conference is free and … Continue reading Second Annual African Americans in WNC Conference, Oct. 22 – 23
Here are a few things coming up: Asheville Goombay Festival – this weekend, Sept. 11 -12. I recently had the honor of meeting Lady Gloria Free, the founder of Goombay, and I wrote about her history in Asheville with the … Continue reading Happening Soon
