The State of Things

When founders Martin Eakes and Bonnie Wright started the Center for Community Self-Help in 1980, they did so with the fundamental belief that low and middle-income homeowners and small business owners would not only be a safe investment, but also a profitable one.

Sijal Nasralla grew up hearing stories about the bucolic hills his father used to roam as a shepherd in Palestine. He also learned early on about efforts his family members had made to preserve access to land they had lived on for hundreds of years.

Two-thirds of states used chronic absenteeism as a metric for school evaluation in recently submitted federal plans.

John T. Edge is a James Beard award-winning writer and author of the new book “ The Potlikker Papers ” (Penguin Press/ 2017). Edge grew up in rural Georgia eating biscuits and drinking sweet tea. He spent his career amassing stories of Southern food and the people who cook it.

Singer-songwriter Steven Diaz allows the natural world to both sooth and inspire him. Under the name Mountain Lions , Diaz creates intimate and introspective songs that reflect familiar people and places. In his debut EP “Calm Wind, Starry Night,” Diaz explores motifs of nature and personal identity.

The number of women coming forward with accounts of sexual assault and harassment continues to grow. The recent surge in allegations has put toxic masculinity in the spotlight, but many questions remain, such as: are black and white accusers are treated differently.

In art and pop culture effeminate men are cast in very different light. Some are revered, like artist Liberace or drag queen and TV star RuPaul Andre Charles. But other times, effeminate men are seen as simultaneously fascinating and grotesque.

When Connsuela Bautista got to school for her first morning class at Southeastern Randolph Middle School, she says she was immediately called to the principal's office. When she arrived, she saw sheriff’s deputies waiting for her.

Isaiah Rice spent decades working as a beverage delivery man in his native city of Asheville, but around town he often went by another name: the picture man.

When service members are discharged from the military, the degree to which they can receive benefits from Veterans Affairs depends largely on their characterization of service.