The State of Things

Pianist Ernest Turner’ s latest album is an ode to black American music. “My Americana” came out earlier this month, and it features jazz compositions by Stevie Wonder, Fats Waller, Kenny Kirkland and other African-American artists. Instead of playing classic jazz standards, Turner chose to highlight black composers.

Fewer than a quarter of people charged with sexual assault in North Carolina from 2014-2018 were convicted of a sex-related crime. That is according to a new analysis from 11 news organizations in North Carolina, led by Carolina Public Press . The reporting also identifies big disparities in conviction rates from one county to the next.

Statistics show that one in three women and one in six men in the United States experience some form of sexual violence over their lifetime. The risk of sexual assault is much higher for people who are college-aged . A recent student experience survey from Duke University shows that 48 percent of undergraduate women say they have been sexually assaulted since enrolling.

For clarinetist Alexander Fiterstein playing an instrument was like reading, writing, and arithmetic: it was a requirement, not a hobby. His parents insisted he play the piano from a young age, and many of his early memories revolve around music.

With sea turtles, fish and birds splashing around in the morning sunlight, marshes that line the American coast might appear peaceful and primordial. But forces both natural and manmade are constantly acting upon them, jeopardizing the survival of these critical ecosystems. New research analyzed the influences that cause marshes to become more “fringy” and sparse, pointing the way for scientists to prioritize interventions and restoration efforts.

What was once the commercial and social hub of Durham’s African-American community now looks very different. The Hayti neighborhood was initially established in the years following the Civil War around St. Joseph’s Church. Black people from surrounding areas were drawn to Hayti to do their banking and business because of its proximity to Black Wall Street, and many black-owned businesses thrived in Hayti, including the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company.

It has been more than a decade since Art Chansky released “Blue Blood: Duke-Carolina: Inside the Most Storied Rivalry in College Hoops.” In it he traces the relationship between the two schools from 1954 through 2005, analyzing everything from the contentiousness between the coaches to the role ESPN played in hyping up the storyline.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s handing of the permit process for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline is under scrutiny. New information from public records requests raises questions about the role he played in the dispute between Duke Energy and Strata Solar, a solar energy company that Cooper was once in business with and his brother continues to make money from. NC Insider Reporter Lauren Horsch combed through public records including Cooper’s schedule and e-mails and texts with his staff, which revealed a 2017

Fifty years ago, food services workers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill went on strike for better wages and working conditions. The Black Student Movement supported the strike, which put a spotlight on labor and racial inequities at the university.

Tayari Jone s is committed to writing about the South as she sees it. Her critically-acclaimed novels are all deeply rooted in Atlanta and explore the intersection of black family stories with the structures that define American life.