The Cape Fear region sees its share of human trafficking thanks, in part, to the tourism economy. And as reports of cases rise in NC, local nonprofit leaders hope to educate the public about the signs.

"Healing is hard. But you're not alone anymore. Keep going." It's a note that Ana Shellem wrote to herself about healing from serious childhood trauma that included sexual abuse, eating disorders, and psychological abuse and neglect. She's now a sought-after commercial fisherman supplying oysters, clams, mussels, stone crabs and the occasional whelk to superstar chefs in NC. She's also a Marine Fisheries Commissioner, appointed by Governor Roy Cooper.

Emily Armstrong and Pat Ivers were in their 20s but had the audacity to lug around heavy video cameras and lighting equipment. Through their relentless embrace of their passion for punk, these two women wound up creating a comprehensive video catalog of important punk icons. They accomplished all this in a male-dominated, aggressive, and sometimes violent milieu.

Why are so many holiday traditions, religious and secular, celebrated during the darkest time of the year? Religious Scholar Dr. Herbert Berg explains. And two local chefs — Dean Neff of Seabird and Keith Rhodes of Catch offer simple holiday menu ideas for home cooks.

Most of us know the story – or at least the basics – of the only successful coup d'état in American history. The 1898 Wilmington, NC massacre perpetrated by white supremacists which killed citizens, forced elected officials from office, and drove successful Black professionals out of the city. But documentary filmmaker Christopher Everett, who produced Wilmington On Fire in 2015, is working on Wilmington On Fire Part II. He's telling a new story of Black power, prosperity, and self-reliance fueling a resurgence of a thriving African American population in the port city.

Sea levels are rising. Storms are intensifying. And the world’s sandy beaches and dunes are more important than ever for the protection of coastal environments. And yet sand mining is on the increase — much of it for beach nourishment. But is beach nourishment doing what we want it do? And is the public money used for beach protection actually preserving a public resource for the public good?

There's a food security plan in development through NC State's Cooperative Extension in New Hanover County. There's a grass-roots volunteer project that collects food from neighbors for monthly porch drops. Mike Claxton offers observations from one of the larger food pantries in Brunswick County. Cierra Washington of the Northside Food Cooperative talks about a deeper approach to feeding people. These efforts are all making a real difference in peoples' lives in the Cape Fear region. And, yes, hunger persists in one of the wealthiest parts of North Carolina.

Philip Gerard contended that the unhealed wounds and unresolved issues from the Civil War were a major driver of today’s Great American Divide. His next book idea, Toward a More Perfect Union: Why America Lost the Civil War and How to Win It Now, will remain unwritten. But he offers some of the ideas that would have gone into that book in other places. We take a closer look at his consistency and courage in this remembrance of a rich, well-lived, albeit abbreviated life.

After the NAACP filed at least two lawsuits over discriminatory practices, Ricky Kelly knew the story of Black Bike Week in Atlantic Beach, SC had to be told. But how do you make a documentary film when you've never made a film before and you don't even own a camera? Ricky bought a camera, and he and his wife, Cherie embarked upon what would become a new filmmaking career.

What The River Knows opens on Thalian Hall’s mainstage on November 10th, the 124th anniversary of the 1898 white supremacist massacre. Playwright Alicia Inshiradu has worked on what she calls a "passion project" for more than two decades.