Built By Us

North Carolina's Latine population has nearly tripled since 2000, and this spring saw that growth finally translate into votes: about 15,000 more Hispanic voters turned out in the primary than in 2022. But turnout still lags behind the state average, and the reasons why are more about access than motivation.

In this episode of Built By Us, host Kai McNeil sits down with Democracy NC board member Adrian Maldonado Jr. to unpack what's driving this growth, from first-time voters bringing along parents and grandparents to year-round organizing efforts across the state. They dig into the real barriers standing in the way: misinformation spreading through text and social media, limited language access at the polls, and closures of polling places in densely Latine areas. They also talk through the economic weight of the community (an estimated $36.9 billion contributed to North Carolina's economy in 2018 alone) and why local elections, not just presidential ones, carry so much weight for issues like healthcare, education, and small business policy.

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In this episode of Built by Us, we sit down with Debbie Karamera and Alexia, two of Democracy North Carolina's Democracy Summer Friendterns, to talk about what it's really like organizing for voting rights as young people in North Carolina right now. They break down the attacks on campus voting access at schools like NC A&T, Elon, and Western Carolina, why the argument that students "aren't really from here" falls apart under scrutiny, and what it means when federal protections for the vote start to weaken. Debbie and Alexia also share how storytelling and community research bring history and lived experience into the same conversation, why they're not waiting for older generations to make room for them, and where they find the joy that keeps them in this work. Then a special reminder as we kick off our Freedom Rising tour across the state.

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This is Part 2 of a two-part episode. Listen to Part 1 featuring Bryan Proffitt of the NCAE first.

If a child's opportunity depends on their zip code, race, or family income, are we really giving every child the same chance? In Part 2, Kai sits down with Susanna Benitez of the Education Justice Alliance, leading the Every Child North Carolina Coalition, and Sarah Montgomery of the NC Justice Center, to discuss who bears the sharpest costs of North Carolina's disinvestment in public schools and what communities are doing to fight back.

They dig into the April dismissal of the landmark Leandro case, what it means for the decades-long fight for a sound, basic education, the ripple effects on districts like Winston-Salem/Forsyth and Cumberland County, and why school board elections are just as consequential as any race on the ballot. The conversation closes with a direct call to action: stay organized, stay informed, and know that the future of North Carolina's classrooms is on the ballot.

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Recorded prior to May 12, 2026, before North Carolina lawmakers agreed to a budget framework that includes raises for teachers, law enforcement, and other state employees.

What if the condition of your child's classroom wasn't an accident? Kai sits down with Bryan Proffitt, Vice President of the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), to trace how North Carolina went from ranking 25th in teacher pay to 43rd, and why that didn't happen by chance.

From the NCAE's origins as a merger rooted in racial justice, to the Reagan-era "failing schools" narrative, to the 2011 legislative decisions that gutted teaching assistants, the Teaching Fellows program, and educator pay, Bryan breaks down the decades of policy choices behind today's classroom conditions. Plus, what the May 1st March means for the road ahead.

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North Carolina is the only state in the country without a comprehensive budget approved for this year, and the people are paying the price. In this episode, host Kai McNeil sits down with Sally Hodges-Copple and Moriah Collins from the NC Budget and Tax Center to break down how a $29.7 billion budget gets made, why it's stalled, and what an upside-down tax code actually means for working families. From teacher raises to Medicaid funding to child care center closures, the budget isn't abstract. It's your classroom, your clinic, and your community. Learn what a well-being budget could look like and how you can make your voice heard.

Sign the People's Budget petition at peoplesbudgetnc.org and join the #LoveNCFundNC statewide social media scavenger hunt.

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The March primary is over, but the election process isn't. 

Right now, 100 county boards across North Carolina are in the canvass period, and most people have never heard of it. In this episode of Built by Us, host Kai McNeil sits down with Democracy NC's Senior Policy Analyst Brian Kennedy and Professor Michael Bitzer, Director of the NC Center for Politics, to break down what canvassing actually is, what the data shows about racial disparities in ballot rejections, and how racial gerrymandering already shaped the 2026 primary landscape before most people showed up to vote.

Two voices. Two lenses. One unmistakable truth: every vote truly counts.

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Kinston, North Carolina is known as basketball heaven – producing more NBA players per capita than anywhere else in the world. But right now, democracy is under attack in the same town that gave us Brandon Ingram, Cedric Maxwell, and Jerry Stackhouse.

A polling site in a densely populated, predominantly Black neighborhood might be removed to avoid conflicts with high school basketball games. Meanwhile, Kinston just got carved out of Congressional District 1 as part of a mid-decade gerrymander targeting the historic Black Belt. The city manager quit after a contentious election cycle. And through it all, one question keeps coming up: why is basketball being protected while people's right to vote gets pushed aside?

Chris Suggs isn't letting his community be silenced. A Democracy Summer alum, former city councilman, and founder of Kinston Teens, Chris has been organizing in Kinston since he was 14. In this episode, he breaks down the pattern connecting local voter suppression to national attacks on Black political power – and explains why he's more fired up than ever to keep fighting.

This is what democracy under attack looks like at the local level. This is Built by Us.

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In this episode, Joselle sits down with Hannah Preston, a North Carolina social media influencer and public health advocate. They discuss the importance of grassroots digital organizing in driving political change, the intersection of health equity and democracy, and the need for sustained civic engagement beyond election cycles. Hannah shares her journey in public health, the challenges faced during the pandemic, and the role of social media in advocating for health justice.

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On January 13th, 2025, the North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines to eliminate campus polling sites for the 2026 primary, including at North Carolina A&T State University, the nation's largest public HBCU. This isn't about convenience. This is a deliberate pattern of making it harder for young Black voters to participate in democracy.

In this episode of Built by Us, host Kai McNeil sits down with Shia Rozier, co-lead of the Civic Engagement Coalition at NC A&T. Shia was there when dozens of students filled the meeting room to capacity, were denied the right to give public comment, and watched as board members threatened to call Capitol Police simply for asking why their polling site wasn't included in the plan.

Shia explains why the Dudley Building site matters: it's the most-used early-voting site for voters ages 18-25 in Guilford County. With freshmen not allowed to have cars on campus, it's not just convenient, it's required for democratic participation. The 3,000 students who vote there won't just go to another polling site. Those votes will disappear.

But A&T students have a legacy of resistance, from the Greensboro Four in 1960 to the fight against gerrymandering in 2016. This generation grew up with Black Lives Matter, witnessed George Floyd's death online, and learned about justice earlier than generations before them. As Shia makes clear, this decision hasn't silenced them. It's fueled the fire.

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In this episode, Joselle and Beatrice delve into the pressing issues of 2026, focusing on the aggressive tactics employed by ICE and federal agencies that target communities rooted in historical oppression. They discuss recent efforts aimed at disenfranchising youth voters, particularly on HBCU and college campuses across North Carolina, and highlight the importance of voter protection in the 2026 Midterms. They also discuss the potential impact of the "Make Elections Great Again" act and recent FBI raids on election offices.

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