Due South

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A new biography explores the underreported civil rights legacy of legendary gospel singer and activist Mahalia Jackson. The co-authors discuss Jackson's rise from humble beginnings in Louisiana to superstardom, crossover success and civil rights movement prominence. 

The authors will be in conversation on August 27 in downtown Raleigh as part of the North Carolina Arts Council's Come Hear North Carolina program.

Timothy B. Tyson, researcher and author of five books, including the New York Times bestseller The Blood of Emmett Till

Mary D. Williams, gospel singer, civil rights historian, and former adjunct professor at Duke University

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North Carolinians will soon be able to take a beautiful excursion on the Blue Ridge Parkway, without leaving their homes. This week, PBS North Carolina premieres “Ten to Try: By Way of the Blue Ridge,” a half-hour journey down that majestic roadway with ten stops along the way capturing some of that vast natural beauty and rich culture of the North Carolina mountains. “Ten to Try” series producer Cliff Bumgardner talks with Leoneda Inge about the episode.

Cliff Bumgardner, producer/director, PBS North Carolina

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For nearly a century, residential segregation and school segregation have been closely linked. It began with the founding of the Federal Housing Administration, ongoing efforts by housing developers and well-meaning parents hoping to provide the best possible education for their small children. 

Leoneda Inge talks with Karen Benjamin, author of "Good Parents, Betters Homes & Great Schools: Selling Segregation Before the New Deal."

Karen Benjamin, associate professor of history at Elmhurst University and author of Good Parents, Betters Homes & Great Schools: Selling Segregation Before the New Deal

This interview originally aired August 6, 2025.

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The yellow-legged hornet is an invasive wasp that first showed up in Georgia in 2023. Since then, it’s rapidly expanded its footprint in the South and has become a serious threat to an important pollinator: the honeybee. But a small army of scientists and beekeepers are fighting back and setting up a new line of defense in North Carolina.

Emily Cataneo, contributor at The Assembly

This excerpt of The Broadside was hosted by Anisa Khalifa. It was produced by 

Charlie Shelton-Ormond and edited by Jerad Walker.

On this week's North Carolina News Roundup, the Board of Elections finalizes early voting plans in disputed districts, ending open polls on Sundays in some counties. Elon University releases a new poll that shows wide support for former governor Roy Cooper in the upcoming U.S. Senate race. And while youth violence is on the rise across the state, law enforcement and community stakeholders seek solutions.

Laura Leslie, Editor, NC Newsline 

Brianna Atkinson, higher education reporter, WUNC News

Zachary Eanes, reporter, Axios Raleigh

Cameron Smith, editor-in-chief, The A&T Register

Kaye C. Usry, Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Policy

Assistant Director of Elon Poll, Elon University

Gerald Owens, journalist and anchor, WRAL-TV 

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“HBCU 101 – Housing Crunch!”

North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro is expecting its largest student body in school history this fall – topping 16,000 students. The HBCU has steadily grown for the last 12 years and securing housing for students who want and need to live on campus remains a challenge. In July, NCAT opened its first new residence hall in more than 20 years. Still, about 200 students will have to live in a nearby hotel. University officials say about 50% of students need on-campus housing, which is a lot higher than at predominately white institutions.

Jermaine Foye, Interim Executive Director Housing & Residence Life (NCA&T)

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‘How Vandy Bested the Ivies'

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN made a calculated effort to change its own narrative and rose to become one of the most selective schools in the country. The story of the university’s evolution is also a story about a changing South. Leoneda Inge is joined by Claire Suddath to talk about her article in New York Magazine titled “How Vandy Bested the Ivies.”

Claire Suddath, freelance writer and journalist

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Wake County-based HOST program seeks to address college student homelessness

College student homelessness impacts 14% of college students locally and nationally. Housing instability impacts even more students, with nearly 48% experiencing uncertainty about where to live at some point during their college career. One organization in Wake County seeks to address the growing need. This interview originally aired June 23, 2026. 

Mary Haskett, Professor Emeritus Psychology, NC State University

KC Buchanan, Executive Director, HOST (Housing Options for Students Today)

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Prediction markets are new, largely unregulated, and they seem to be everywhere. Jeff Tiberii talks with Professor Michelle L. Malkin, who leads ECU’s Gambling Research & Policy Initiative, about how quickly they’ve taken hold and what steps are needed to mitigate the negative consequences of these online gambling markets.

Michelle L. Malkin, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice & Criminology, and Director of the Gambling Research & Policy Initiative at East Carolina University

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Charlotte-based reporter Danny Funt’s recent book on legalized sports gambling in the United States highlights society-wide costs, as well as the personal price paid by players and fans.

Danny Funt, author of Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling

This interview originally aired March 19, 2026.

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These days it feels like there is no simple way to beat the heat. And our new climate reality means we need to take new and more serious precautions to protect ourselves and our neighbors from its health impacts. Dr. Lauren E. Siewny joins Leoneda Inge to talk about concerning signs to look out for and how to best handle this steamy summer weather that just won’t let up. 

Dr. Lauren Siewny, Medical Director of the Duke University Hospital Emergency Department, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine

This interview originally aired July 29, 2026.

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Heat impacts us all, especially during these dog days – and nights – of summer. But some people are impacted more than others due to circumstances including outdoor work, chronic illness, or living in a neighborhood more prone to the impacts of extreme heat. Two environment researchers talk to Jeff Tiberii about the heat challenges facing both urban and rural regions, tips for navigating the heat when running the AC at full blast isn’t an option, and about community-driven approaches to help protect us all. 

Angel Hsu, Director, Data-Driven EnviroLab; and Associate Professor of Public Policy and Environment, Ecology and Energy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Ashley Ward, Director, Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Energy, Environment & Sustainability

This interview originally aired July 29, 2026.

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A recent book from North Carolina A&T biology professor Joseph L. Graves, Jr. interprets the gap in life expectancy between Black and white Americans and debunks the misconception that race can dictate disease prevalence. (This interview originally aired December 8, 2025.)

Joseph L. Graves, Jr., evolutionary geneticist and MacKenzie Scott Endowed Professor of Biology at North Carolina A&T State University and author of the new book, “Why Black People Die Sooner: What Medicine Gets Wrong About Race and How to Fix It” 

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"Six Hours in Raleigh” is a guide made by WUNC’s Digital Team with recommendations for the best way to spend an afternoon in Raleigh, and for places that even locals might not know about. (This interview originally aired June 2, 2026.)

Josh Sullivan, social media producer at WUNC News 

Lauren Rhodes, digital news intern at WUNC

Today on the Friday News Roundup, we learn more about state lawmaker Jennifer Balkcom, the new congressional candidate whose name will appear on the ballot this fall in western North Carolina after Republican Chuck Edwards backed out of the race for NC-11.

Also, UNC proposes a LLC to manage and maximize athletics revenue. And, now that the Hurricanes have sold out their season tickets, what does that mean for the rest of us?

Local journalists join Jeff Tiberii to talk about those stories and more.

Bryan Anderson, Statewide Politics Reporter for The Assembly, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletter 

Dane Huffman, Engagement Editor, Triangle Business Journal 

Mary Helen Moore, reporter for Axios Raleigh 

Adam Wagner, reporter/editor covering state politics for the North Carolina Newsroom 

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More than one-third of North Carolina’s nearly 100 jails have exceeded capacity at some point since January 2026. Nineteen of those jails have been overcrowded every single month of this year. Luke Woollard of Disability Rights NC joins Due South to discuss the growing impact of overcrowding.

Luke Woollard, attorney for Disability Rights NC’s prison and jails team

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Jeff Tiberii speaks with Second Chance Federation executive director Daryl Atkinson, about the new organization’s efforts to restore voting rights to the formerly incarcerated.

Daryl Atkinson, executive director, Second Chance Federation

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As colleges get ready for students to arrive on campus for the fall semester, Leoneda Inge talks with higher education reporter Brianna Atkinson about some of the biggest issues confronting higher education institutions — including federal research funding, DEI, and enrollment.

Brianna Atkinson, Higher Education Reporter, WUNC News

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Colleges in the Triangle and across the country are getting ready for students to come back to campus — especially for those coming to college for the first time. Co-host Jeff Tiberii is joined by local college administrators who work to ease that transition and set up students for success.

Crystal N. Fletcher, MPA, Director, New Student and Family Programs, North Carolina Central University

Grace Sullivan Zirkle, Associate Dean of Students & Director of New Student and Family Programs, Duke University

Jillian Cross, PhD, Associate Director, New Student and Family Programs, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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When first-year students start their collegiate journeys this semester, their families may be just as nervous as they are. Penny Fleming knows all too well about the concerns and questions that new student parents and loved ones have — she hears it all as a volunteer administrator of the Duke University Parents’ Facebook group.

From first-generation families to international students, Fleming talks with Leoneda Inge about how she helps every kind of first-year family navigate the often-challenging transition to college.

Penny Fleming, volunteer administrator of Duke University Parents’ Facebook group

Related: An article about Penny Fleming's volunteer work at Duke University in The Chronicle.