I walked the streets of Charlotte, N.C., four nights last week. I walked alongside protesters clad in Black Lives Matter t-shirts and all the signs: “Am, I Next?” “Hands up. Don’t shoot.” “End white silence.” I walked in blue jeans…
Standing as loving accomplices on a front porch surrounded by police
It is a Friday night not long after I have moved to Enderly Park, which is located on Jesus’ side of the tracks. Our living room is filled with teens. We are playing cards, not because we like cards that…
Stop talking about gentrification
My beloved neighborhood in west Charlotte is on the brink of big changes. Neighbors are trying to figure out what those changes will be and how to have a voice in them, and we keep coming back to one term…
Belonging: Maybe fences don’t make good neighbors
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” –Mother Teresa It is Friday night, and 125 friends, new and old, crowd the yard at QC Family Tree. We are gathered to…
Gentrification and its discontents
Chris and I are riding home from church when I bring up local politics. I’m interested in what he thinks about the creeping development that is beginning to put some pressure on the edges of our neighborhood. “Have you noticed…
When violence visits your church, how ready should you be?
Wednesday morning, July 10th someone started two small fires inside Providence Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. As of this writing fire officials are calling it arson and an investigation continues. The damage was small in economic cost; probably less than…
Live from the DNC: Power and vulnerability
Monday was Labor Day, and rather than starting their convention, the DNC chose to throw a big party for the city, filling Tryon Street (Charlotte’s Main Street) with vendors, bands, displays, free museum admission, and a festive atmosphere for all….
Live, from the DNC
The eyes of the world are on Charlotte, or so we are told. The Democratic National Convention is in town to nominate President Obama as their candidate for president. Credentials have been issued for 15,000 journailsts. CNN, MSNBC, C-Span, all…