Due South

One year ago, Associate Professor Zijie Yan was fatally shot at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The campus was locked down for several hours as authorities searched for the suspect. The community was still in mourning when just over two weeks later a report of an “armed and dangerous person” triggered a second lockdown.

UNC-CH clinical psychology graduate student Joe Friedman wanted to understand the mental health impact of the shooting and lockdowns on members of his campus community, so he designed a study called the “UNC Coping Study.” He spoke with co-host Leoneda Inge last fall about the preliminary findings, and he joins her again to share the longer-term results of his research.

Then, Due South presents another conversation in our occasional series “Golden Leaf” about tobacco’s deep roots in North Carolina. The focus today is the history of tobacco warehouses in early and mid-20th century North Carolina.

By day, the work done in these warehouses was governed by the brutal racial injustices of the South. But, on some summer nights, those cavernous buildings were transformed into a different world, says Auburn University history professor Elijah Gaddis. Black music promoters rented the warehouses, invited some of the most famous musicians of the era to perform, and Black party goers danced the night away in a space filled with rich music and glorious decorations – and in doing so, challenged Jim Crow.

Jeff Tiberii chats with Emily Stack, chair of the North Carolina Federation of Young Republicans. Leoneda Inge speaks with David McClennan, political science professor at Meredith College and director of the Meredith Poll. Gino Nuzzolillo, campaigns manager for Common Cause NC, sits down with Leoneda Inge to discuss the upcoming youth-led CarolinaDaze concert series. 

The cost of back-to-school shopping has shifted to families and teachers in NC. Durham Public Schools offers free meals for all students, other districts may follow. And, an education reporter shares the changes she’s seen in K-12 over the past two decades. 

Guests

Liz Schlemmer, education reporter at North Carolina Public Radio WUNC

Marianne Hedrick Weant, programs manager for North Carolina Alliance for Health

James (Jim) Keaten, director of School Nutrition Services Durham Public Schools

Ann Doss Helms, education reporter WFAE-Charlotte’s NPR News Source

On the North Carolina News Roundup… 

With the Democratic National Convention wrapping up, the Democrats are boasting unity following a convention of firsts in Chicago. How long will the now-extended moment of enthusiasm persist? 

The DNC also had a NC surprise – Governor Roy Cooper was the opening act for VP Kamala Harris. We'll recap the DNC and the Carolina threads. 

Then, we’ll spend some time on campaign finances – the Republican gubernatorial candidate is facing scrutiny over claimed expenditures – and new campaign fundraising numbers are out for some candidates. 

Former President Donald Trump returns to North Carolina – he spoke in Randolph County with security as the theme of his remarks. 

Plus, an update on COVID - cases have been high in North Carolina - and new vaccines have been approved. We'll get the latest. 

Join Jeff Tiberii and a panel of reporters for context and analysis of the week's news on Due South.

Guests

Jason deBruyn, supervising editor for digital news, WUNC

Reuben Jones, Washington reporter covering North Carolina, Spectrum News

Lucille Sherman, reporter, Axios Raleigh

Paul Specht, politics/PolitiFact reporter, WRAL

Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief, The News & Observer

North Carolina is predicted to harvest well over 100,000 acres of tobacco this year, and grows most of the flue-cured tobacco produced in the U.S. As farmers and laborers take to the fields to harvest the crop, Due South takes a look at the impact of tobacco on our state – past, present, and future – in an occasional series called “Golden Leaf.”

Our first conversation is with Dr. Blake Brown, a professor emeritus of Agricultural and Resource Economics at North Carolina State University. He talks with co-host Leoneda Inge about the role of tobacco farming in North Carolina’s economy and discusses some of the big federal policies of the past century that impacted tobacco farming in our state. We also hear from Yesenia Cuello, Executive Director of NC FIELD, who talks to Due South about her own experiences working in tobacco fields as a child, and how the practice persists today. In this occasional series, we'll also talk with public health experts, historians, farmers, and researchers.

In our last segment: gap years. As college students start the fall semester, co-host Leoneda Inge talks with a UNC-Chapel Hill student who took a gap year – instead of going straight from high school to college – about what she learned outside the classroom. 

The State of Real Estate in the Triangle
Home listings and home sales prices continue to increase in North Carolina, but sales have slowed slightly in recent months, with homes staying on the market for an average of just over 4 months. The median sales price of homes in the area has increased by 4% to $374,700, year over year. Leoneda Inge discusses the current real estate landscape in the Triangle with a local real estate agent.
John Wood, Broker-Owner of three RE/MAX UNITED offices located in Raleigh, Cary, and Chapel Hill

A look at affordable housing advocacy in Chapel Hill
EmPOWERment is a grassroots organization advocating for and creating affordable housing in Chapel Hill and its surrounding areas. The organization's core team consists of five Black women, including herself, who have worked together for the past 12 years. Leoneda Inge speaks with EmPOWERment’s executive director about the organization’s efforts to provide affordable housing to some of the town’s 12, 000 residents living below the poverty line.
Delores Bailey, executive director of EmPOWERment, Inc.

How NCModernist preserves local architectural marvels
North Carolina has one of the largest concentrations of modernist houses in the U.S. (second only to California, New York, and Florida) – and the state has a fascinating history with modernist housing design. Leoneda Inge chats with George Smart, the founder and executive director of US Modernist (and its local branch, NC Modernist), nonprofit organizations dedicated to the preservation and documentation of modern houses.  
George Smart, founder and executive director of USModernist and NCModernist

What to watch for at the Democratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is underway in Chicago through Friday. In the latest edition of our Purple Ballot series, co-host Jeff Tiberii sits down with a panel of reporters and political analysts to discuss the Democratic Party's platform, key issues, and campaign strategies leading up to the election. We'll also follow the North Carolinians on tap to speak at this week's convention, including Governor Roy Cooper.
Colin Campbell, Capitol Bureau Chief, WUNC
Mary C. Curtis, columnist for Rollcall.com, host of the Rollcall podcast “Equal Time”
Mitch Kokai, senior political analyst, John Locke Foundation
Abby Vesoulis, reporter, Mother Jones

NC Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton
With the DNC underway this week and Democrats taking their turn in the spotlight, we check in with the head of North Carolina's Democratic Party, Anderson Clayton. The 26-year-old state party chair chats with co-host Jeff Tiberii about the Democrats' campaign in the Old North State, her hopes for the party, and down-ballot races.
Anderson Clayton, chair, North Carolina Democratic Party

NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson is one of the longest serving at a major public research university in recent years, especially in North Carolina. He talks with Leoneda Inge about what he's learned on the job, the highs and lows, and reflects on his long career at the start of his final year at NC State.

Theatre in the Park, Raleigh’s beloved black box community theatre, is staging Lynn Nottage’s 2011 play, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, from Aug 15-25. The play covers 70 years in the life of a fictional African-American maid who becomes a film star  in the 1930s. Leoneda Inge chats with the director of the production, Yamila Monge.

Guests

Randy Woodson, Chancellor, N.C. State University

Yamila Monge, Box Office & Guest Services Manager, Theatre in the Park

On the North Carolina News Roundup...

It's another busy week for the presidential candidates in North Carolina with former President Trump stumping in Asheville and Vice President Harris rallying in Raleigh.

At the state level, yet more drama surrounding the Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson.

Then, as colleges and universities prepare for fall classes to begin, a discussion about campus DEI office changes and closures.

Plus, the legacy of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill women's soccer coach Anson Dorrance, who announced his retirement earlier this week after 45 years and 21 NCAA championships.

Guests

Bryan Anderson, Freelance Reporter, creator of the “Anderson Alerts” newsletter

Ray Gronberg, Editor, North Carolina Tribune/Business NC

Brianna Atkinson, Higher Education Reporter, WUNC

Felicia Sonmez, Growth and Development Reporter, Blue Ridge Public Radio

Mitchell Northam, Digital Producer, WUNC

Tim Crothers, Adjunct Instructor, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and author of The Man Watching: A Biography of Anson Dorrance, the Unlikely Architect of the Greatest College Sports Dynasty Ever.

Jurassic-era climate research
Researchers at Duke University have uncovered information about a major extinction during the Jurassic period that they believe sheds light on how climate change affects our oceans. Jeff Tiberii talks with Duke researcher Mike Kipp about the discovery.
Mike Kipp, earth and climate science assistant professor at Duke University

New burrowing dinosaur discovery by NC scientists
Researchers at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University have discovered a new dinosaur species that they believe lived at least some of their lives in underground burrows. Due South co-host Leoneda Inge talks with a NC State researcher about the discovery of the new species Fona herzogae. The fossil was found in Utah and can be seen on the 3rd floor of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Haviv Avrahami, student at North Carolina State University and first author on the study describing the discovery

Resurrecting extinct species like the wooly mammoth
Colossal Biosciences is a biotech company based in Dallas working to “de-extinct” the wooly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo. They hope their work will be part of slowing down and reversing the massive extinction that we’re living through currently. Co-host Jeff Tiberii talks with an evolutionary biologist and the company's chief science officer about "de-extinction."
Beth Shapiro, an evolutionary biologist and chief science officer of Colossal Biosciences