2023

Despite her campaign suspension, Shelia Huggins’ family carries political legacy

By Caroline Daly

November 29, 2023

Caroline DalyNovember 29, 2023 For Shelia Huggins, a former candidate for Durham City Council, life has always revolved around elections and politics. Huggins’ mom, Ann, first introduced Shelia to the political world during her childhood, as she has been involved in public service for a long time. “I was already in it,” Shelia said. “So, […]

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A reflection of my time at the Durham Voice

By Ava Dobson

November 23, 2023

Reflecting on my time reporting for the Durham community has been the hardest task assigned to me yet. Not because I don’t know what to say, but because I feel unqualified to in so few words.  I believe the most significant takeaway I can provide is the least obvious: while media outlets often portray Durham […]

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Learning and growing from the Durham municipal elections

By Caroline Daly

November 22, 2023

Caroline Daly November 22, 2023 The election season for Durham mayor and city council were intense at times. I was not surprised by the outcome of the mayoral election because Leonardo Williams came out on top which was expected. However, my reporting focused more on the city council elections. Shelia Huggins was the candidate I […]

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My Reflection on the Durham Voice

By Christina Polge

November 16, 2023

by Christina Polge Uploaded November 16 at 3pm Writing for the Durham Voice has been a powerful experience for me. It reminded me about the true value of journalism: the readers. When writing my stories, I spent a lot of time considering what would be important for Durham residents to know and then I centered […]

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The roots of the work: Blair LM Kelley’s process to publishing ‘Black Folk’

By Jessica F. Simmons

November 9, 2023

Blair LM Kelley, author of Black Folk: The Roots of the Black Working Class, shared insights on incorporating her ancestral line into her book’s writing process during the Writer’s Discussion Series Lecture last Thursday evening, November 2. Kelley is a Ph.D. holder in History with certificates in African and African American studies and women’s studies […]

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Durham’s Community Art: A Historical Exploration

By Hannah Adams

November 6, 2023

By Hannah Adams Published Nov. 6 Durham comes to life through vibrant and diverse community murals. These pieces of art celebrate Durham’s rich history, culture and diversity, and have become an integral part of the city’s landscape. “While some states attempt to remove the historical truths that shaped this country; Durham has decided to embrace […]

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How Khalilah Karim is making an impact on voters in person and online

By Holland Bodner

November 5, 2023

Holland Bodner November 5, 2023 General election day is a couple of days away in Durham and the race for city council has intensified. Khalilah Karim is continuing to push for advocacy and voter engagement through her platform, as well as social media. Karim is setting the stage as she proves to herself and Durham […]

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Durham City Council candidate Sheila Huggins ends campaign, cites voter turnout

By Caroline Daly

November 3, 2023

Caroline Daly November 2, 2023 On Wednesday, Oct. 18, Huggins held a press conference where she announced that she and her team made the decision to suspend her campaign for an at-large seat on the Durham City Council. Following the primary election on Oct. 10, Shelia Huggins was among the top six choices for Durham […]

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Carl Rist hopes to appeal to voters with affordable housing and climate action policies

By Ava Dobson

November 2, 2023

Carl Rist recently achieved a monumental milestone in his campaign. The city council-member- hopeful was one of six candidates to receive enough votes to secure a spot on the city of Durham, N.C.’s general election ballot. Instead of celebrating, he plans on immediately preparing for the upcoming electoral event. “I’m focused on the next steps,” […]

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Leonardo Williams leads mayoral votes with a personal connection to Durham

By Emma Hall

Williams went to North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., and has worked as an educator and entrepreneur in Durham since. He also emphasized that as a Black man, he believes he can better connect to Durham issues than Woodard.

“A lot of Durham problems that we are experiencing right now, they are personal, lived experiences to me,” he said.

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After years of underperforming, Glenn Elementary is quickly gaining ground

By Kamryn Hailey, Page Lester, Jessica F. Simmons and Katherine Snow Smith

November 1, 2023

With a master’s degree and the ability to speak two languages, kindergarten teacher Nancy Gonzalez had her pick of jobs at top-rated schools across North Carolina when she graduated in 2022. She chose Durham’s Glenn Elementary School, which was labeled as a “D” school at the time.  Last spring 100% of teachers replied “Yes” when […]

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Durham strives to enhance education and inclusion for students with autism 

By Abbie Clavijo, Elila Freeman, Sydney Ross and Madi Kirkman

From sensory spaces to advocacy, experts recommend a comprehensive approach  DURHAM, NC — Durham accessibility experts are calling for the use of sensory spaces and better teacher training to support students with disabilities.  Experts and community leaders say that more needs to be done to accommodate the needs of students with a disability, particularly those […]

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‘Our stories deserve to be told’: Stagville Memorial Project aims to bring more equitable and diverse history to downtown Durham

By Morgan Brenner

October 17, 2023

Ricky Hart has known about his ancestry since he was a child, when his father took him on visits to their family home, the Hart House: a small cabin located on what used to be the Bennehan-Cameron Stagville Plantation and is now home to Historic Stagville.  Historic Stagville is located 10 miles north of downtown […]

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Gentrification’s Toll on Durham’s Environment

By Holland Bodner

October 16, 2023

Holland Bodner Published October 16, 2023 Durham citizens are facing an affordable housing crisis as companies gentrify Durham neighborhoods. This year, Durham residents saw a 6.3 percent increase in housing prices with newly developed properties. The Durham community is seeing the detrimental effects of gentrification through environmental destruction from rising temperatures, water pollution, and tree loss.  […]

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Local Churches Promote Inclusion Ahead of Durham Elections

By Audrey Kashatus

October 12, 2023

By Audrey Kashatus Published Oct. 2, 2023 Sylvester Williams, a candidate for the mayor of Durham and former financial analyst, is now a pastor at The Assembly at Durham Christian Center.  This campaign will mark Williams’ fourth time running for the mayor of Durham. During his previous run in 2017, Williams received less than 2% […]

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Mike Woodard hopes to improve housing, economic development, city services in Durham

By Christina Polge

Published 3:02 pm on October 12, 2023 (N.C. Sen. Mike Woodard, D-Durham, shakes Council Member Monique Holsey-Hyman’s hand at Holsey-Hyman’s press conference after she got cleared from an extortion investigation.  (Photo taken by Jailyn Neville) N.C. Sen. Mike Woodard, (D-Durham), finished second in the primary for Durham mayor, making him a finalist for the seat. […]

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Durham primary election results show close race for City Council and mayor

By Emma Hall

The municipal primary election results are in. Only a month away from Election Day, Durham held primary elections on Oct. 10 to determine the candidates for mayor and City Council in the 2023 general election.  Every precinct in Durham voted in the primary elections. Out of the over 200,000 residents in Durham, 23,684 Durham residents […]

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City Council Member Hopeful Carl Rist Proposes “Change” for Durham

By Ava Dobson

October 9, 2023

“I’m 61 today!”       Donning a simple black t-shirt and khakis, city council member hopeful Carl Rist stands outside of Durham Main Library to greet potential voters.       It’s early voting week, and Rist is the only individual on the ballot present. Confetti and presents appear to be low on the tier list of importance- […]

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‘To whom much is given, much is required’ – the mindset of Mayor candidate DeDreana Freeman

By Noel Harris

October 6, 2023

By: Noel Harris October 6, 2023 As reporters and supporters gather at Durham City Hall, Councilwoman DeDreana Freeman stands about ten feet away with an unforgettable presence. Council member Monique Holsey-Hyman addresses being cleared of extortion allegations before turning her attention to Freeman. She says Freeman supported her during it all. She says Freeman risked […]

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Shelia Huggins aims to help Durham residents in bid for City Council

By Caroline Daly

By Caroline Daly, October 2nd Shelia Huggins is running for election for the Durham City Council in North Carolina. Huggins has lived in Durham for a little over 20 years with her husband and daughter. Over the past nine years, she has worked in three different Durham city departments and is involved with many organizations […]

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Durham City Council Candidate Khalilah Karim Values Community Above All

By Holland Bodner

October 2, 2023

City Council candidate Khalilah Karim By Holland Bodner, October 2nd 2023 As election season continues in Durham, one candidate is doing the work in hopes of securing a seat on the city council. Khalilah Karim amplifies the voice of the city by advocating for voters.  Karim started in her hometown of Decatur, Georgia and has […]

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‘Grassroots democracy in action’: A look at political action committees in Durham

By Eliza Benbow

Oct. 2, 2023 As candidates and voters prepare for the Oct. 10 elections in Durham, another participant in the city’s politics is raising its voice.  Durham’s political action committees (PACs) are instrumental in informing and encouraging voters to participate in this year’s general elections, where 12 candidates are running for three seats on the Durham […]

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J.J. Campbell is running on a people-focused platform for Durham City Council

By Carl Kenney

by Mazin Elnagheeb, Oct. 2 2023       J.J. Campbell at Sandy Creek Park on October 1, 2023 (Photo by Mazin Elnagheeb) J.J. Campbell, a man with an eclectic background including dolphin training, experience with nonprofits, and geophysics, is running for Durham City Council with a people-centric platform. Campbell said his eclectic background will aid him in […]

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City council candidate Bonita Green impacts a Durham community with her legacy garden

By Morgan Brenner

Bonita Green, community advocate and director of the Merrick-Moore Community Development Corporation, is running for City Council At-Large this fall with one significant campaign objective in mind: to promote meaningful and sustainable grassroots change. After moving back to Durham from Florida in 2012, Green noticed not only how much her community had changed, but how […]

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Senator Mike Woodard Faces Endorsement Setback Over Voting Record

By Christina Polge

Published 11:58 am, October 2nd, 2023 (Mike Woodard greets Durham voters at a press conference. (Photo by Jailyn Neville)  North Carolina Senator Mike Woodard (D-Durham) did not receive endorsements from INDY Week or Durham People’s Alliance in his run for mayor due to questions about his recent voting history.  In its recently published list of […]

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