By Jock Lauterer
November 10, 2021
In response to the crisis of gun violence in Durham, the Hillside High School Drama Department, under the direction of legendary director Wendell Tabb, presents the original play, “A State of Urgency,” subtitled, “A call to action to stop gun violence.” The play will run this weekend with four performances at Hillside High School, […]
Read moreBy Samantha Martinez
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. […]
Read moreBy Jock Lauterer
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 […]
Read moreBy Jock Lauterer
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 […]
Read moreBy Jock Lauterer
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 […]
Read moreBy Landon Bost
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 […]
Read moreBy Korie Dean
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 […]
Read moreBy Matthew Audilet
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 […]
Read moreBy Victoria Johnson
February 27, 2020
Durham native Monica Daye was sexually assaulted in a church when she was 11. “My whole life completely changed,” she said. “I went from an A/B student — outgoing, dancing — to being a student that was failing with D’s and F’s, rebelling, cursing teachers out and getting in trouble.” When she was 19, Daye […]
Read moreBy Korie Dean
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 […]
Read moreBy Landon Bost
February 13, 2020
Hillside High School’s “Hallelujah! Swing School” returns for the second consecutive year for Valentine’s weekend in honor of John Henry Gattis’ “Mr. G’s Swing School.” The production honors the past and inspires the next generation of leaders from Durham. The play is produced and directed by the esteemed Hillside drama teacher Wendell Tabb, who has […]
Read moreBy Celia Farmer
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. […]
Read moreBy Sasha Schroeder
January 30, 2020
With over 1.2 million books donated since its founding, Book Harvest continues its dream of promoting reading and learning Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream — and so does Book Harvest, a Durham nonprofit that hosted its ninth annual Dream Big Book Drive and Community Celebration last week. “The Book Harvest dream is a […]
Read moreBy Gianna Tahan
As South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces (SEEDS) rings in the new year, Interim Executive Director Abby Goodman hopes to make their urban gardening programs more meaningful to all members of the Northeast Central Durham community. Founded in 1994, SEEDS is a two-acre urban garden and kitchen space located at 706 Gilbert St. The organization […]
Read moreBy Brittany Cowan
December 12, 2019
By Brittany Cowan Education is a complex, often controversial topic for discussion, as the viewpoints of teachers, legislators, and community leaders can sometimes result in bitter conflict. In Durham County, the non-profit organization StudentU has been on a mission since 2005 to shift the conversation towards educational equity and serving student populations that may otherwise […]
Read moreBy Khadijah McFadden
October 4, 2019
“Free for everyone.” That’s how the President and Executive Director of Hope Her Way, Jillian Cross, describes her organization to me about young mothers looking to finish their unfinished college experiences. The organization is an eight-week pre-college program helping low-income, single parents get the higher education they need such as when they have had to […]
Read moreBy Cindy Chen
May 15, 2019
This is my story of how writing became an escape, rather than a chore, through journaling — and then journalism. Coming to America with English as my second language I always thought it was the hardest subject to master. Being the quiet shy kid in class, I felt inferior with my English language skills […]
Read moreBy Spencer Carney and Keeley Gay
March 27, 2019
Partners for Youth Opportunity changed three students’ lives for the better on March 14 when they awarded scholarships worth $1,000 each to help pay for their college education. The scholarships were originally meant for high school students going into college, but now can be awarded to students already in college. The recipients chosen for the […]
Read moreBy Natasha Townsend
Carmen Settles remembers the first time she learned that going to college after high school wasn’t for everyone. She could venture out on her own path and be successful. Although she graduated from North Carolina Central University with a marketing degree, Settles owes her success to Communities in Schools (CIS), a nonprofit that focuses on […]
Read moreBy Celia McRae
Erin Batten-Hicks finally found the community she had been missing when she transferred to Hillside High School and joined the school’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA). “I never really had an opportunity to find more queer people and find that community while I was at my other school,” she said. “When I came […]
Read moreBy Hannah McClellan
February 28, 2019
On a cold and rainy February afternoon, 17-year-olds Samantha Vazquee and Demonte Bolden are not hiding inside – they’re hard at work repotting dozens of plants after a day at school. Vazquee and Bolden are two youth members of the DIG program, a youth-driven, urban farming and leadership development program started by South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable […]
Read moreBy Elisabeth Beauchamp
February 27, 2019
V’Aondre Mack, 16, always loved being in a barbershop. Now, the Holton Career and Resource Center is giving him the opportunity to work in one someday. “I’ve always been in a barbershop since I was young,” the Southern High School (SSES) junior said. “Me, my dad and my little brother went to the barbershop every […]
Read moreBy Johnny Sobczak
When Jenne Mondry was interviewed for a position teaching English at Hillside High School last summer, it was proposed to her that she teach journalism and take over the school’s newspaper. For Mondry, it was daunting. “I let them know that I had not done that before, but I had done the yearbook at a […]
Read moreBy Celia McRae
Informational booths from different Durham Public Schools departments lined the walls of the Hillside High School lobby last Saturday. Parents and students could ask questions about program offerings at these booths, as part of a fair called “Say Yes to DPS.” “We really wanted to be able to showcase them and to be able to put a […]
Read moreBy Will Shropshire
After 47 years, “Swing School,” a community favorite production for many decades, returned to the stage at Hillside High School. The Hillside High School Drama Department – under the direction of Wendell Tabb – put on four performances of its new adaptation, called “Hallelujah! Swing School,” from Feb. 15-17. The production has long been a Hillside […]
Read moreBy Arianna Swain
February 17, 2019
Rictrice McKiver flipped through her notes as she talked about Girl Talk, her newly created program for teen girls, created to bring teen girls together to give them a chance to discuss subjects they may not feel comfortable doing at home and to provide the girls with a sister or mother figure that may be […]
Read moreBy Natasha Townsend and Celia McRae
February 13, 2019
The words, “You can do it” reverberated through Tiffany Agerston’s head. She never forgot those words of encouragement, spoken by her chorus teachers when she was younger in an effort to get Agerston to share her singing talent at the annual “An Evening of Entertainment” (EOE) put on by the Durham Public Schools. Agerston eventually […]
Read moreBy Cheyenne Beasley and Courtney Staton
Children skipped up the steps in excitement on their way to the second annual “Meet the Heroes” event at New Creation United Methodist Church in Durham. The event celebrated six prominent figures from black history through interactive activities. For Albert Shuler, the pastor of New Creation United Methodist Church, the focus on children was particularly […]
Read moreBy Elisabeth Beauchamp
The Holton Career & Resource Center’s cosmetology program is not just a place for students to practice doing hair and using tools; it’s a place to refine skills that will shape their futures. The classes not only teach conceptual material about the art of cosmetology, but they also give pupils hands-on experience with mannequins and […]
Read moreBy Hannah Towey
Angel Hope’s first day of class at Hillside High School, a significant event in any teenager’s life, was supposed to be Aug. 27, 2015. But the day would soon prove to be even more important as she gave birth to her daughter, Gabrielle, at the age of 15. Four first days of school and three […]
Read moreBy Spencer Carney and Veronica Correa
This Black History Month, Mount Vernon Baptist Church on Roxboro Street in Durham will acknowledge the past with films, books and faith. The Durham church will have free film screenings every Wednesday in February at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday morning discussions at 9:30 a.m. It hosted a conversation on the autobiography “Proud Shoes: The Story […]
Read moreBy Samantha Perry
The first day of classes normally begins with introductions. Students share their names, hometowns and favorite movies or books. But when Audrey Muhammad begins her first class each semester, she shares something interesting about herself before asking her students to do the same. “I have a magazine, and I love to write,” Muhammad tells them. […]
Read moreBy Cindy Chen
As winter break ends and a new semester begins, high school students usually tend to buckle down to end the academic year strong. However, for many seniors, it’s another story. After college applications are all in and the college acceptances begin to roll in, many seniors often feel that is okay to take […]
Read moreBy Natasha Townsend and Arianna Swain
January 30, 2019
Marneshia Gonzales’ “Nancy Drew” books were being boxed up at the Book Harvest Dream Big Book Drive. They were her childhood favorites, and she wanted to share them. The 12-year-old, who is in sixth grade, was giving books away with her mother, Deidre Gonzales, at the eighth-annual book drive on Jan. 21, Martin Luther King […]
Read moreBy Veronica Correa
When Durham mother of two Ana Sanchez started taking her son Leo to the Durham County Library, it was a struggle to get the kindergartner to enjoy reading. Today the fourth-grader can read at grade level with the help of weekly tutoring. “It really helps the kids open their minds,” Sanchez said in Spanish. The […]
Read moreBy John Bauman
Donna Bennett rose, bravely, to share her story. Her truth. “Good afternoon, my name is Donna Bennett. I will be reading a piece I wrote,” she said. “Number one in your life’s blueprint should be a deep belief in your own dignity, your own self-worth and your own somebodiness. Having a deep belief in yourself […]
Read moreBy Khadijah McFadden
January 27, 2019
Bull City Music, a new music school that opened this past fall (3329 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.) was founded by Durham resident Jeanetta Hopkins, who says the school is dedicated to helping young aspiring local musicians. The music school offers students a way to express their thoughts and feelings using instruments. BCMS teaches lessons in […]
Read moreBy Cindy Chen
December 14, 2018
Kidznotes, the Durham-based non-profit music program devoted to giving kids a passion for music, is back with their annual Winter Concerts. This year’s first free concert will be held Fri., Dec. 14, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Fayetteville Elementary School located at 2905 Fayetteville St. The second concert will be presented in the same […]
Read moreBy Cheyenne Beasley
November 21, 2018
Empowered Minds Academy sits in a friendly looking red and white corner building at 1217 Holloway St. Entering the small intimate academy, you are greeted by posters, kid friendly signs, and Valine Zeigler, founder and head of school. Zeigler is a warm woman who is passionate about her school and the children who attend. In […]
Read moreBy Christina Gordon
November 15, 2018
Enthusiastic and dedicated Durham residents crowded into Epworth United Methodist Church on Oct. 15 to listen to and workshop with Richard Rothstein, author of “The Color of Law: A forgotten history of how our government segregated America.” Epworth hosted the event which gathered members of the N.C. Council of Churches, public school advocates, parents, teachers […]
Read moreBy Jennifer Maxwell
November 14, 2018
Dr. Yaba Blay had promised the room full of eagerly awaiting professional black women an evening of “black girl magic,” and she did not disappoint. In continuance with its mission to increase the position of black people in the community and break down barriers to economic participation in ethnic markets, the Durham Business and Professional […]
Read moreBy Cheyenne Beasley
October 10, 2018
Hillside High School’s award-winning drama department is in rehearsal for ” The Color Purple,” a musical version of the classic novel, produced and directed by veteran drama teacher Wendell Tabb, November 9-11, at Hillside High School theatre auditorium, 3727 Fayetteville St. There are almost 100 students working to create the production, including actors, dancers, offstage […]
Read moreBy Qaadir McFadden and Khadijah McFadden
October 9, 2018
Normally when people hear of professional or business conferences, they immediately think of an adult event. However, the Emily K Center, Durham Youth Commission, Made in Durham and Partners for Youth and Opportunity, all youth-serving non-profit organizations in Durham, decided to switch up the old format by hosting a youth conference earlier this fall […]
Read moreBy Cheyenne Beasley
September 10, 2018
N.C. Central University’s Men’s Achievement Center and National Council of Negro Women teamed up with Burton Elementary School to hand out school supplies to kids on their first day of school on Monday, Aug. 27. This event was planned as a way to connect with the community and increase engagement because schools make up […]
Read moreBy Kenzie Cook
May 8, 2018
Maesa Al-Amin, 17, is a senior at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. She is a competitive dancer on the school’s dance team with dreams of owning her own dance company and dancing in music videos. She has performed at the Durham Performing Arts Center for “An Evening of Entertainment” and at Hillside High […]
Read moreBy Maddie Marshall
April 11, 2018
It was late morning, and the sun was peeking from behind the clouds as the students and leaders of Partners for Youth Opportunity arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But the slightly overcast day did not stop them from a having an adventure. The PYO students and staff members were visiting […]
Read moreBy Kenzie Cook
April 5, 2018
In 2013 StepUp Ministry, a Raleigh-based non-profit, sent an exploratory committee to Durham to discover if the city needed or wanted the program launched here, said Tim Wollin, 37, the program director for StepUp Durham. After two years and an invitation from the Durham community, StepUp Durham was born. Emily Dao-Forrester, 27, an employment […]
Read moreBy Liz Chen
April 2, 2018
Un sábado típico para Angel, quien tiene 10 años, consiste de un desayuno saludable y balanceado, jugando soccer con sus amigos y aprendiendo algo nuevo en los programas sabatinos de East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) STEAM. Los sábados STEAM se enfocan en avanzar la educación en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, arte y matemática para los estudiantes […]
Read moreBy Brennan Doherty
Los números cuentan la historia — sorprendentemente no es una novedad para Kevin Bullock, quien ejerce la posición de director de asuntos de equidad en las escuelas públicas del condado de Durham. La posición no existía hasta enero de 2017. Durante el año escolar 2016-17, los estudiantesblancos que componen 18.5 por ciento de la […]
Read moreBy Tessa Platek
March 29, 2018
The middle school boy arrived from baseball practice to just in time to join the Lowe’s Grove pep band in opening the Creek Week event with their own rendition of “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz. This song, along with a cheery performance by the pep band of “People Make the World Go Round,” provided a […]
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