By Carl Kenney
February 4, 2021
Life in this pandemic has not been easy for any of us. Some people have lost their jobs, lost family members, lost their homes and have struggled greatly. Many other people are just stuck at home watching the world change. Meanwhile, one hardship I have faced during this pandemic has been dealing with online school. […]
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January 27, 2021
In this month of celebration of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Durham Children’s Initiative has recreated the slain civil rights leader’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, as read by various teens from Durham. Give a listen.
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January 23, 2021
Martha Flowers came to the front door prepared for her photo shoot, looking every bit like a diva — dressed for a concert, pearl necklace, and a smile that could – and did – light up Broadway. Diva; I may not know what that means technically, and I have a hunch its like when someone […]
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January 22, 2021
A little over a year ago, Prof. Jock Lauterer gave me a call alerting me that the Durham VOICE would have an esteemed visitor at our “newsroom,” what was then Partners for Youth Opportunity’s (PYO) office located on the second floor of the WG Pearson Center. “Koonce,” he said. “We’ve got LeRoy Walker coming to […]
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December 23, 2020
Story by Madison Reese DCI Intern The Durham VOICE Photos by Khadijah McFadden Teen Editor-in-Chief Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI) created “Holiday Zone” seven years ago to provide Christmas gifts for Durham families who need them. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, the traditional way Holiday Zone is executed had to change. The Holiday Zone […]
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November 6, 2020
By Khadijah McFadden Teen Editor-in-Chief Covid-19 has changed many people’s lives, some for the better and others for worse. One of those changes include their work predicaments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 19 million people lost their jobs or stopped working for a period of time due to Covid. The BLS found […]
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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 […]
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October 30, 2020
By Jock Lauterer Founding Publisher The Durham VOICE Fifty years ago this past spring, four outstanding 18-year-old Black graduating high school seniors from a rural high school in Western North Carolina teamed up to express their gloves-off opinions about the first year of school integration and the state of race relations. Earlier this fall, those […]
Read moreBy Palace Jones
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 Carl Kenney
October 7, 2020
I recently lost my long-time companions, Simba and Nala. The pair of Rottweilers, both dying from old age — Nala at 12 and Simba at 13 — were integral family members since I was a toddler. I think about my dogs daily and often wonder how pets and their owners are faring during this pandemic […]
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By Antoine Freeman In early August a man in Pennsylvania was charged with shooting at an employee of a cigar shop. This violence started when the cigar shop employee told the man, Adam Zaborowski, 35, to wear a mask. According to local news reports, Zaborowski allegedly fired shots at the store clerk and later, […]
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September 18, 2020
https://overcast.fm/+gbOgHtBVU Khadijah McFadden is the Teen Editor-in-Chief of the Durham VOICE and a senior at Research Triangle High. Join us for a conversation with Khadijah! Listen by clicking the link above or going on Spotify:
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
September 2, 2020
https://overcast.fm/+gbOg96pas Nathan Gomez is a former member of PYO’s Youth Advisory Board and a student at City of Medicine Academy. Join us for a conversation with Nathan! Listen on the link above or on Spotify:
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https://overcast.fm/+gbOiLG2lk Rocky Jones is a contributor for the Durham VOICE and senior at C. E. Jordan High school. Join us for a conversation with Rocky! Listen above or on Spotify:
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https://overcast.fm/+gbOhM7Jxg Chamiya Edwards is a former member of PYO’s Youth Advisory Board, founder and owner of Knicknack Cupcakes (https://wopita.com/knicknack.cupcakes) and a student at Durham Tech Community College. Join us for a conversation with Chamiya! Listen by clicking the link above or on Spotify:
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
August 15, 2020
After a long, unexpected and crazy break during the coronavirus pandemic, it is now time for students to “return” to school. School this year will look a lot different than any other. This year the majority of local schools will be online for probably the entirety of the fall semester however, chances could creep up […]
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May 16, 2020, was the day I was going to transform into a young woman. That is, until Covid 19. This is the story of how Covid 19 impacted what was supposed to be a day to remember. I know what you might be thinking: “What is a quinceanera?” A quinceanera, also referred as a […]
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August 14, 2020
Covid-19 Chronicles: Zooming in on Durham Youth is a podcast series produced and reported for the Durham VOICE and community. Through this series, we are connecting with students who are involved with Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI), allowing them to share their journeys and experiences during Covid-19. My name is Margaret Gaw, and as a fellow […]
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August 13, 2020
Ever since George Floyd’s murder, there has been huge outrage from citizens of the United States. Many protests took place in every state in order to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Back in June, a peaceful protest took place in Durham downtown where numerous people marched. I believe that this is a […]
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July 28, 2020
By David Reese, DCI President July 1 marked a monumental day in the history of the Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI). Not only have we officially changed our name to reflect our county-wide work with families and our support of the development of the Durham County Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP), but we have also signed […]
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By Ayana Hernandez North Carolina Central University is one of six institutions awarded funds from a $6 million grant from the N.C. Policy Collaboratory at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for COVID-19 research and care. The announcement was made June 11 by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ Historically Minority […]
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June 11, 2020
Of late, there has been much talk about “the talk.” Now, a year and a half after a dramatic play by the same name debuted in Durham, a video version will begin streaming for a month, beginning today, Friday, June 12. (See details below.) “The Talk” dramatizes the frank conversation a black father must have […]
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May 6, 2020
“The yellow brick road with a pot of gold at the end,” are the words that David Reese, President and CEO of East Durham Children’s Initiative, uses to describe the upcoming merger between two local NGOs dedicated to helping Durham’s children have a better life. On July 1, Partners for Youth Opportunity, led by Julie […]
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Editor’s Note: With the passing of Kenneth W. Edmonds, publisher of the Carolina Times, we offer as a tribute this profile of Edmonds, his family and the long, proud legacy of the Carolina Times. Originally published in the Durham VOICE, spring of 2017, this article was written by then UNC-CH staff writer and VOICE co-editor, […]
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April 2, 2020
Durham is revered for Black Wall Street as a place where African Americans found economic prosperity in the early twentieth century. Now, a group that honors that legacy inspires the next generation of Durham entrepreneurs Wall Street Juniors Inc., a nonprofit founded by a Hillside High School alumna in 2018, teaches financial literacy to Durham […]
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The 1981-82 Denver Nuggets. The 1989-90 Loyola Marymount Lions. The 2013 Denver Broncos. All of these teams have one thing in common: each is the greatest offensive team in its respective league’s history. But before those teams came along, there was the 1965-66 Hillside High School Hornets, also known as the “Pony Express.” “No one […]
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He grew up around his family’s stone masonry business in Durham. Now, he wants to build on that foundation. LaMon Jones, 21, recently started a job with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, a nonprofit that works to protect water quality in Northeast Central Durham. Jones said he was able to get his job at ECWA […]
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Crouching with a power tool in hand, Durham artist Stephen Hayes pressed chicken wire over an aluminum base and drilled it into place. Soon the structure was covered in smooth slate, and the acrylic top covered in a collage of old news clippings and photographs was placed on top. This marker now sits permanently outside the […]
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Two local nonprofits have announced exciting news: Partners for Youth Opportunity (PYO) and Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI) decided to merge as one nonprofit to scale their impact in Durham. On March 5, PYO held their annual Rise and Shine Breakfast fundraiser. During the breakfast the group discussed its report from the previous year and then […]
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With Durham County surpassing 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, everyone is feeling the presence of the coronavirus. From social distancing to increased health and sanitation practices, the virus has caused everyone to make major changes in their lives. This includes Durham business owners. Those who’ve put blood, sweat and tears in to their businesses — […]
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Publisher’s Note: Ordinarily, a news outlet doesn’t write stories about itself; this is the exception to the rule. When my 7th study/teaching trip to China got cancelled this spring due to the virus, I began wondering if there wasn’t something we could do anyway. And therein lies the tale. Over 7,000 miles separate the students […]
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Samuel and Sons Barbershop on Angier Avenue has been a pillar of community in Northeast Central Durham for years. The coronavirus pandemic isn’t changing that. Samuel Jenkins, owner of Samuel and Sons, decided to transform the barbershop into a Zumba studio in order to keep people moving while many of Durham’s recreational facilities and gyms […]
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“StepUp Durham connects people with hope,” Tim Wollin, 39, of Minneapolis, program director for StepUp Durham, said. StepUp Durham is a nonprofit that offers services for job seekers in the Durham community. Located at 112 Broadway St., Suite B, Durham, StepUp Durham is a resource for free employment readiness training, personalized job coaching, employer referrals […]
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Editor’s Note: The Barbershop Revival, originally scheduled for March 27 and 28 at North Carolina Central University, has been postponed until fall. Barbershop singing likely brings to mind an image of four old-timey white men in striped suits and little straw hats. While that image has been fairly accurate for much of barbershop’s history, Andy […]
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Although the doors are temporarily closed at all Durham County Library locations due to the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, Durham County residents can still take advantage of many online resources the library has to offer. The library closed March 15 after Gov. Roy Cooper issued Executive Order 117, which prohibits mass gatherings of more than […]
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Alysia Johnson is not the ordinary teenager who rolls out of bed to attend her last classes as a senior at Hillside High School. Instead, at 17 years old, she wakes up early before school to go to Planet Fitness. Then she goes to track practice after school. And, since that’s not enough, she does […]
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Despite school closures and government-issued stay-at-home orders, the Durham Kidznotes program is working to make sure their students and teachers can continue learning and teaching music in a virtual setting. “It’s been a really interesting and honestly kind of invigorating time for Kidznotes,” Nick Malinowski, the executive director of Kidznotes, said. The program, which partners […]
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March 24, 2020
Publisher’s Note: Back in late February, before COVID-19 became a reality for the U.S., I had my Community Journalism students at UNC-CH write letters of concern to Chinese college students. And the Chinese kids, in deep quarantine, wrote back. Now, a month later, the tables have turned, and we are in the cross-hairs. Thus, the […]
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February 27, 2020
Former Chicago Bull, six-time NBA Champion and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan rose from the ground at Madison Square Garden in the first round of the 1991 Eastern Conference Playoffs against the New York Knicks and displayed one of his greatest moments of Air Jordan. Nearly 30 years later, 6-foot-5-inch Southern High School senior guard […]
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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 […]
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Erin Riney always knew that some of her students at Durham Technical Community College struggled with food insecurity. But eight years ago, when the college’s Student Government Association hosted a giveaway with 50 free food bags and ran out in less than 10 minutes, she knew it was a more pressing issue than she had […]
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The local nonprofit, Partners for Youth Opportunity (PYO), that serves Durham youth impacted by systemic injustice will hold its largest fundraiser of the year on March 5: the Rise and Shine Breakfast. PYO organizes the annual event to celebrate its accomplishments with attendees and to announce its plans to scale the nonprofit’s impact for the […]
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February 13, 2020
Therese Daye knew that she had to keep her dream alive. For nearly a year she’d been planning to host a Daddy-Daughter Date Night for the fathers of Durham, but the heavy rainfall wouldn’t let up. A day before the Feb. 8 event was scheduled to occur, she learned that she’d no longer be able […]
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Inside the room of Partners for Youth Opportunity (PYO), a nonprofit serving youth in Durham, there are picture frames that display the faces of past and current PYO students. Each face has a story to tell to anyone who walks through the door. Carlton Koonce, 37, of Durham, is the workforce development director at PYO. […]
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“Our first rule is…?” Brett Chambers called over packed tables painted in dim lights from the stage. “Have fun!” the crowd shouted in unison. And fun they had. Laughter and conversation filled The Blue Note Grill, 709 Washington St, for over an hour before any performance. When the music did start, people grooved in their […]
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At first, Durham dog breeder Dwanson Clark just wanted his money back. Six years ago, his fiancee, Candace Taylor, asked him to buy a dog to keep her company while Clark was deployed with the U.S. Navy. In 2016, Clark decided to breed a litter of seven puppies, hoping to recoup the money he’d spent […]
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Son of the Tater Bread Cafe owner hopes to follow in his father’s footsteps by launching a food truck He started working in his father’s cafe when he was 15 years old. Now, he plans to open a restaurant of his own — on wheels. Harrison Sneed, 24, runs Tater Bread Cafe at 1108 Morning Glory […]
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Mainland Africa is approximately 4,030 miles away from Durham, but Duke University is working to narrow the gap by bringing African stories to the campus community through film. This month Duke is hosting its fifth-annual African Film Festival, featuring stories from around the continent. The four-week festival, organized by the university’s Africa Initiative, will hold […]
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The Hayti Heritage Center presents its fifth annual Black History: Artists’ Perspectives Exhibition to bring African American artists together and honor the black experience. Five years ago, curator Willie Bigelow, who is a Durham resident and artist, came to Hayti Heritage Center Executive Director Angela Lee to design an exhibition that pays tribute to Black […]
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This is a video series produced and reported for The Durham VOICE. “Documenting Durham’s Voices” will elevate the voices of and put a face to community members in Durham who are working in the community. The video series will also feature notable events that truly define what Durham is. Following the carbon monoxide crisis at […]
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