By Jock Lauterer
November 4, 2020
By Nway Dee DCI Intern The Durham VOICE This year’s in-person voting, as part of Election 2020, began October 15 for North Carolina residents. People started rushing to polling locations during the first week and many of those voting are also urging others to vote early or as soon as possible. Voting is vital and […]
Read moreBy Palace Jones
October 30, 2020
The dire prospect of a shortage among Durham’s election poll workers, for fears of contracting and spreading Covid-19, could have resulted in even longer lines than we’re seeing in early voting. Fortunately, more than enough residents of Durham rose to perform a treasured civic duty by signing up to help voters enjoy a smooth and […]
Read moreBy A.J. O'Leary
February 27, 2020
Most people come to Zweli’s for the only Zimbabwean food in town, but some come to talk politics. On Friday, Feb. 21, Zweli’s, located in Durham, hosted an Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign event as part of its Dinner Table Talks speaker series. Leonardo Williams, who runs the restaurant with his wife, Zweli, said events like […]
Read moreBy Korie Dean
February 13, 2020
Early voting for primary elections starts Thursday, Feb. 13, in Durham, and thanks to two students, Durham Technical Community College students will be able to engage in the political process in an exciting way. The school’s Center for College and Community Service hosted “Coffee, Cupcakes and Counts” Thursday from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. at the school’s […]
Read moreBy Anthony DeHart, Sophia Wilhelm, Landon Bost and Brandon Callender
January 30, 2020
Monday morning, Jan. 20, about 250 marchers gathered in front of the NC Mutual Life building for Durham’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity March and Rally. The group gathered for a short opening, then marched to First Presbyterian Church on East Main Street where speakers addressed the crowd from the pulpit. Every year, […]
Read moreBy Aaliyah Bowden
November 17, 2019
Abortion, women’s reproductive rights, and gender equality will be on the ballot in the 2020 presidential election. With that in mind, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, located in Durham, has joined 10 other participating organizations in launching a petition to make affordable reproductive health care an important topic on the debate stage. “The petition is asking […]
Read moreBy Samantha Perry
March 27, 2019
When Grace Beeler began teaching English as a second language, she was shocked by the stories refugees had to share. “If everyday Americans could hear the stories that I hear at work they would have a lot more compassion for refugees,” Beeler said. “They would understand why they need to come here, why we should […]
Read moreBy Jennifer Maxwell
November 5, 2018
North Carolina voters concluded an 18-day early voting period on Saturday, Nov. 3, for the 2018 midterm election with a record number of ballots cast, according to the North Carolina State Board of Elections and Ethics Enforcement. One reason for the surge in this year’s early voter turnout can be attributed to the nearly […]
Read moreBy Ramishah Maruf
April 11, 2018
Sixth-grader Sedra Khatib cried on her first day at Lakewood Elementary School in Durham last year. “[The school] didn’t have a bus to go to home. And they asked me, and I didn’t understand,” Sedra said. “They called my dad and they call him and he said he will come. They had to use [Google […]
Read moreBy Ramishah Maruf
February 28, 2018
After protesters toppled a Durham Confederate statue in August, the city began the process to form a commission to find out exactly what to do with both the base of the statue and the remaining Confederate symbols. The committee, led by Wendy Jacobs, Durham County Board of Commissioners chair, and Mayor Steve Schewel, has two […]
Read moreBy Zayrha Rodriguez
February 14, 2018
The North Carolina Human Relations Commission has the mission to end racial discrimination in Durham, according to their website and Diane Standaert, chair of the commission. Two members of the HRC presented their recommendations to reform the Durham County Detention Facility at ReCity, 112 Broadway St. The presentation was part of “Locked in Solidarity”—a weeklong, […]
Read moreBy Lamel Batts
February 13, 2018
Newly-elected Mayor Steve Schewel outlined his plans for Durham at his first annual State of the City Address on Monday. He emphasized projects related to the environmental health of the city and improving livability in Durham. Around 85 people attended the event which was also broadcast on Durham’s public access channel and can now […]
Read moreBy Katie Rice, Ramishah Maruf and Tenley Garrett
January 31, 2018
It is below freezing, but Antwon Styles grips his daughters’ hands, joining hundreds of marchers in downtown Durham for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Unity March and Rally on Saturday, Jan. 15. Audrina, Antwon’s fourth-grader, holds a sign that reads “For the Children” adorned with hearts and smiley faces. Durham holds a history rooted […]
Read moreBy Marissa O'Neill and Bryce Lapping
Javiera Caballero sat in the Durham City Hall Council Chambers, waiting. The next day, she would celebrate her 40th birthday, but a larger accomplishment awaited. After a 5-1 vote among the council, Caballero took her oath of office on Jan. 16, becoming just the second sitting LatinX-identified public official in all of North Carolina. The […]
Read moreBy Cole Villena
Two weeks after New Year’s, hundreds of West End residents came together once again to celebrate a cherished American holiday. Posters of Martin Luther King Jr. replaced brightly-colored 2018 banners. Coffee, not champagne, was the drink of choice for adults at the Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park at 1309 Halley Street. […]
Read moreBy Davis McKinney
November 26, 2017
With all the well-dressed attendees and live band, one could be forgiven for mistaking Rep. MaryAnn Black’s fundraising event at the Hayti Community Center for a jazz club last Thursday night. Black has represented District 29 in Durham County since February of this year, after Governor Roy Cooper appointed her to the seat. Despite her […]
Read moreBy Sarah Cline
November 23, 2017
Durham food security may take a blow due to policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Community members, policymakers, and experts met last Thursday in Durham to discuss the federal policy changes and outcomes. The meeting, entitled, “Can SNAP End Hunger? A forum on food justice,” was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church […]
Read moreBy Beth Clifford and Sarah Cline
November 6, 2017
Durham’s election for its new mayor is happening on Nov. 7. This is your final chance to get out and vote, and here is The VOICE’s guide for when you head to the polls. No endorsement is made on this guide. Farad Ali Overview Farad Ali is a leader in community business and the […]
Read moreBy Davis McKinney
Maybe game seven of the World Series drew the crowd away, or maybe Durham residents are just simply experiencing election fatigue. Either way, attendance was lower than expected last Wednesday for the final forum discussion of the mayoral race. With less than a week to Election Day, candidates Farad Ali and Steve Schewel participated in […]
Read moreBy Julian Keeler
November 5, 2017
Durham resident Steve Schewel is a popular figure in the Triangle area. You may see his face on signs posted all over the city saying, “Vote for Steve Schewel.” He is a candidate in the 2017 Durham Mayoral Election. Schewel has always been keen on helping people and a big advocate for equality and justice. […]
Read moreBy Julian Keeler
Farad Ali has become a well-known figure in the Durham community because of his professional work, service, and commitment. Now, after nearly 30 years of involvement in the city, Ali has his sights on being the city’s next mayor. Ali, along with his supporters, believe with his leadership and experience, Durham could shift in a […]
Read moreBy Sarah Cline
October 18, 2017
The conditions at the Durham County Correctional Facility need to change, according to the Inside Outside Alliance. And they’re doing everything in their power to make it happen. As part of ongoing protests for prison reforms at the correctional facility, protesters gathered outside of the jail last Friday to voice their grievances with the treatment […]
Read moreBy Davis McKinney
If you remember last year’s election at all, you probably associate politics with divisive attack ads and heated debates. But all negative preconceptions were put to rest last Thursday night at Beyú Caffé where mayoral candidates Steve Schewel and Farad Ali met in a moment of political civility to interact with young professionals from Durham. […]
Read moreBy Justin Laidlaw
October 5, 2017
Affordable housing is a hot button issue in Durham. Since major downtown revitalization began nearly 15 years ago, with developments like American Tobacco Campus and Durham Performing Arts Center, cost of living has shifted dramatically throughout the city. This was the topic of discussion at the second #MayorUp mayoral forum, hosted by Aaron Mandel […]
Read moreBy Jock Lauterer
August 28, 2017
Editor’s Note: It’s early in the new fall semester, but already young student reporters at NCCU have opinions on the events at Charlottesville and Durham. These comments come from Professor Lisa Paulin’s journalism class, which also contributes content to the Durham VOICE. Depending on how you look at it, both sides can be […]
Read moreBy Nafisa Shah
August 27, 2017
You may have already heard, but on a Monday in early August a group of protesters pulled down the statue of a Confederate soldier that stood outside the old Durham County courthouse. The statue, the Confederate Soldiers Monument, was dedicated to the county of Durham in May, 1924. Engraved in the statute are […]
Read moreBy Alexis Allston
April 19, 2017
Rep. Henry McKinley “Mickey” Michaux Jr., D-Durham, is the longest serving African-American representative in the N.C. General Assembly at 86 years old. Durham Voice co-editor Alexis Allston sat down with Michaux to talk about Durham, local politics and a lifetime of service. DV: What part of Durham did you grow up in? MM: I was born, bred […]
Read moreBy Bryce Lapping
The Durham City Council unanimously voted 7-0 to fund the education task force of the Mayor’s Poverty Reduction Initiative, now known as the 10.01 Transformation in Ten (T2) Initiative, at its April 17 meeting. The education task force will receive nearly $32,500 to assist in its new initiatives, Advancing Educational Outcome and Opportunities (AEOO) and […]
Read moreBy Jarely Parada
April 5, 2017
To some people in Durham, the Republican Party is the party of old white men consumed with self-pride and a lack of care for the less fortunate. Deep in central Durham County, where only 14 percent of people are registered Republicans, one man believes the African-American community should consider a different way of thinking. […]
Read moreBy Bryce Lapping
Durham Mayor Bill Bell has made a difference in the community he loves, and he will continue to do so after his final term expires later this year. Bell, who has served as mayor since 2001, sat down with The VOICE to discuss his impact on the city, mainly regarding his poverty reduction initiative, which […]
Read moreBy Bryce Lapping
March 1, 2017
The Triangle Unity May Day Coalition held a “Triangle People’s Assembly” Saturday, the third such event since President Trump’s election. The assembly hosted representatives from a variety of social and economic justice organizations at The Palace International, a Durham restaurant started by two Kenyan natives. The Triangle Unity May Day Coalition formed in 2016 to […]
Read moreBy Catherine O'Neill and Bryce Lapping
February 15, 2017
Tens of thousands of people packed the streets for Saturday’s Historic Thousands on Jones Street event in Raleigh, lead by the N.C. NAACP. According to the event’s organizers, this number exceeded the march’s previous record from 2014. The march was bookended by speeches outside of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts at […]
Read moreBy Nicole Caporaso
For 25 years, the Durham community has been honoring victims of violence with an annual vigil. The 25th Annual Vigil Against Violence will be held 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 16, at Shepherd’s House United Methodist Church, 107 N. Driver St. Organized by the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham and the Durham chapter of […]
Read moreBy Rachel Herzog and Jordan Wilkie
February 9, 2017
Durham Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said that building a better relationship with the community is at the root of public safety. “Community raised me,” she said. “We all search for family somewhere. If they don’t have it at home, young people may look for it on the streets.” After taking the oath in […]
Read moreBy Bryce Lapping
February 1, 2017
Millions took to the streets across the nation in solidarity with women less than 24 hours after Donald Trump took the oath of office. Aatia Davison, a 19-year-old studying at UNC-Chapel Hill who grew up in the Triangle, traveled to Washington, D.C., to make her voice heard. “No hate, no fear. Immigrants are welcome here,” […]
Read moreBy Nijah McKinney
November 15, 2016
When it comes to elections, many pose the question “Will millennials vote?” While the 2016 election is in the books, it appears that there are continuing questions concerning this age group. For that reason, one Washington, D.C., group conducted a college tour this fall, stopping at N.C. Central University on Nov. 2 to encourage […]
Read moreBy LaMon Jones
November 11, 2016
The 2016 election has been a rollercoaster ride of insults, hate speech, sexism and racism. The Clinton campaign versus the Trump campaign will go down in history as one of the nastiest battles in politics. The career politician Hillary Clinton battled it out with one of the most iconic businessmen of the modern era, […]
Read moreBy Brenna Elmore and Rachel Herzog
November 9, 2016
On a chilly Saturday morning in November, two police officers cross the deserted soccer field in front of the Holton Career and Resource Center. But they’re not patrolling the area — together, they lift up a soccer goal on their shoulders and move it along the white lines painted in the grass. Soon, cars […]
Read moreBy Riley Turner
October 24, 2016
Speaking Thursday, Oct. 24 beneath the cathedral-like ceiling of Hayti Cultural Center, the Rev. William Barber II, president of the North Carolina Chapter of the NAACP, said, “Fear doesn’t care what tool it uses, as long as it keeps the division wide.” The theme of the night: division. The Hayti Cultural Center hosted an advanced […]
Read moreBy Jimmy Wylie
To get a sense of what folks are thinking about the election year of 2016, VOICE audio journalist Jimmy Wylie takes his mic to Northeast Central Durham with the questions: who are you voting for? What are the issues you care about? And how important is this election? Here’s what he heard from, in order, […]
Read moreBy Amil Mangum
October 23, 2016
Early in September, former President Bill Clinton visited Lyon Park Community Family Life & Recreation Center to campaign for his wife and talk about education and immigration policies. Lyon Park is in my neighborhood, and I got to see what was happening. I always heard good things about Bill Clinton, especially from my mom. […]
Read moreBy Amil Mangum
October 18, 2016
Staff photographer and Jordan High School student Amil Magnum captured a student-organized “peaceful protest” at Jordan High School on Sept. 28, 2016, to call attention to events going on between police and people of color. The protest lasted from 8:30 to 8:50 before classes started. Teachers and administrators were supportive of the event.
Read moreBy Trevor Barnes
October 7, 2016
With a community gathering of about 40 citizens, the city of Durham held their biweekly City Council on Oct. 3 where they declared October Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Whereas anyone can be a victim of (domestic) violence, we believe that everyone deserves a life free of violence,” said Mayor Bell. Mayor Bell continued by […]
Read moreBy Meredith Wilson
October 5, 2016
Newly appointed Police Chief Cerelyn Davis announced Officer Charles Strickland as the liaison between the department and the LGBTQ communtiy of Durham at the annual NC PRIDE festival on Saturday, Sept. 24. The Durham Police Department (DPD) also released new standard operating procedures (SOP) regarding interactions with LGBTQ individuals on Sunday, Oct. 2. The LGBTQ […]
Read moreBy Jordan Wilkie
September 21, 2016
Durham’s Human Relations Commission (HRC) officially recognized years-long protests over conditions inside the Durham County Detention Facility on the evening of Thursday, Sept. 15. Approximately 100 community members gathered at City Hall for a two-hour forum on how the jail impacts Durham County residents. The Inside-Outside Alliance, an activist group including incarcerated and formerly incarcerated members, has […]
Read moreBy Candice Craig
April 20, 2016
Durham teens have responded to House Bill 2, better known as the “bathroom bill”. “Durham was one of the most progressive cities in North Carolina, as far as extending rights to the LGBTQ community,” said Nick Buchser, a youth programs coordinator for Raleigh’s QueerNC. “HB2 took away all of that.” With House Bill 2, or […]
Read moreBy Bradley Saacks
April 6, 2016
Imagine the everyday burdens that accompany being a high school student —stress about grades, social anxiety of puberty and looming college admissions. For many, the idea of returning to high school is cringe-worthy, but not for 19-year-old Wildin Acosta. Acosta, a senior at Riverside High School on Rose of Sharon Road, is not fighting to […]
Read moreBy Rowland Givens
March 25, 2016
Last month, UNC professor Kenneth Janken presented his book, “Wilmington Ten,” to a group at the main branch of the Durham Public Library. The topic brought up strong emotions among some attendees. The Wilmington Ten is a case of nine men and one woman who were wrongfully convicted in 1972 of arson and conspiracy, and […]
Read moreBy Dominick Askew
The City of Durham Department of Neighborhood Improvement Services, located at 101 City Hall Plaza, has five divisions to help keep the city regulated. The five divisions consist of code enforcement, community engagement, Impact team, human relations, and administration. Assistant Director of Neighborhood Improvement Services, Vonzennia Gore, says she thinks of NIS “as being […]
Read moreBy Candice Craig
February 3, 2016
Fourteen-year-old Amiya Wilds was walking around outside of her neighborhood on Liberty Street with a couple of her friends, wishing there was something to do since the after-school program she attended in her neighborhood was stopped. “There’s not many kids out here,” Amiya said. “Everyone’s either moved or is locked up now. We’re bored.” Amiya […]
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