The State of Things

Hollywood trailblazer John Singleton died earlier this week at the age of 51. The director is best known for his 1991 film "Boyz n' the Hood," for which he became the first African American and youngest person to receive an Oscar nomination for best director. Critics credit Singleton as one of the first filmmakers to document the humanity and complexity of life in South Central Los Angeles. Singleton died just one month after the murder of Grammy-nominated rapper Nipsey Hussle, another artist

Expressions of shock and grief continue today after a shooting last night on the campus of the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Two people were killed, and four others were injured.

Educators from around the state are descending on Raleigh today to call on lawmakers to increase support for public schools. Last year a similar teacher protest drew about 20,000 educators and supporters to North Carolina’s capital.

Working mothers have a lot stacked against them. From insufficient parental leave to workplace culture that penalizes family time, moms often find it extremely challenging to get ahead professionally while raising kids. In politics, the barriers are even more daunting. Young moms on the campaign trail are routinely asked about their ability to manage family and political life and field questions about their commitment to issues beyond kids and schools.

After writer Samia Serageldin lost her mother, she traveled to Cairo to go through her belongings and remember the woman she thought she knew intimately. Yet when she read through journals her mother had kept as a young bride and throughout her life, Serageldin realized there was much she had never considered or understood about her. Along with co-editor Lee Smith, Serageldin put a prompt out to Southern writers she admired: Discover what you know, or do not know, about your mother. An anthology

Although the majority of Americans support paid family leave, only 12 percent of North Carolina workers benefit from it. Employees are able to take unpaid family leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, but many workers simply cannot afford to go without pay while they take care of a new baby or sick relative.

Following the success of last year’s walkout, North Carolina teachers are staging another protest tomorrow. This year an expected 31 school districts have cancelled classes in anticipation of the rally. Stated goals include: increasing minimum wage to $15; reinstating compensation for advanced degrees; and providing more classroom support.

Once criminals have served their time, they are released and expected to return to being productive members of society. But what resources are in place to help them do so? The documentary “ Benevolence: A Journey From Prison To Home ” follows five women as they try to reintegrate into society while working on a farm in Alamance County.

As a boy Ernest Grant was enchanted by the nurses who attended his church in Swannanoa, a small area in western North Carolina. He often overheard them talking about their work at a local tuberculosis sanitarium and vividly remembers their stories of caring for patients.

With the release of the Mueller report, some Democrats are calling for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings. Several Democratic presidential candidates have gone on record to say they support impeachment including Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass).