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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Charlotte's competitive 2025 primary, Lyles will face most challengers in years
Voters are in for a competitive primary election in two months with 27 Democrats running for just 12 Charlotte government positions. Every current City Council member and the mayor are seeking election this cycle. Most face multiple challengers, including Mayor Vi Lyles, who is up against six candidates from three political parties. Ed Driggs, who represents south Charlotte's District 7, and Malcolm Graham, who represents District 2 in the north, are the only two council members without an opponent standing in their path to re-election. On the opposite end of the spectrum, a dozen candidates are campaigning for just four at-large seats. Charlotte's primary election is Sept. 9 for City Council. Voters won't have their say in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education or other municipal elections until November, when there will be 70 other candidates competing for seats. Here are some races to watch. Candidates line up to take down Mayor Lyles Mayor Vi Lyles is no stranger to opposition. She dethroned former Mayor Jennifer Roberts in 2017 in an uphill climb to the city's top elected position. But she's faced little signs of resistance since. She won her last general election with 73.6% of the vote after receiving 85.4% of the vote in the primary. And she hasn't faced as many primary election challengers as she does this year since 2019 — when there also were four other candidates. If elected to a fifth term this year, Lyles would be tied for serving the second-longest tenure as Charlotte mayor. Then, she'd fall behind only former Gov. Pat McCrory, who is the city's longest-serving mayor. The crowded pool of challengers includes four Democrats, one Republican and one Libertarian. None have held elected office before. The fledgling Democratic candidates include Jaraun 'Gemini' Boyd, a former prisoner-turned-activist and nonprofit leader; Delter Kenny Guin III, who does not have a campaign website or a clear online campaign presence; Brendan Maginnis, a former Marine and small business owner who ran for Congress in 2024; and Tigress Sydney Acute McDaniel, who has run unsuccessfully for a number of offices across Mecklenburg County. Republican real estate agent Terrie Donovan and Libertarian Rob Yates face perhaps the toughest battle ahead. The last Republican mayor was McCrory, who left office in 2009 to run for governor. There has never been a Libertarian mayor. Absent from the lineup of hopefuls is Roberts, who flirted with the idea of a rematch eight years after leaving office. She would have presented a strong opposition campaign due to her name recognition and a base of supporters that newcomers might lack. But Roberts announced she would not run for mayor about 24 hours before the filing deadline, saying in a mass email that she has 'too many existing commitments that cannot take second place.' District 6 is the only open seat There will be at least one new face on City Council this year. Former Councilman Tariq Bokhari resigned in April after the Trump administration tapped him to become deputy administrator of the Federal Transit Administration. His seat representing District 6 is wide open for the first time since 2017 — and it's the only district without an incumbent in the mix. Three candidates are vying to be Bokhari's successor, including his wife. This would be Krista Bokhari's first time holding public office but not her first time running. She campaigned last year for a seat in the North Carolina House of Representatives, and earlier this spring she unsuccessfully applied to finish the remaining six months of her husband's council term. Sary Chakra, another political newcomer who applied to finish Bokhari's term, is also running for the Republican nomination. Chakra works in stormwater and infrastructure construction. Kimberly Owens, an attorney, is running for the Democrats and will not face a primary challenger. Bokhari and Driggs were the only two Republicans elected to council last cycle. The two south Charlotte districts are the only races where Republican candidates outnumber Democrats and are widely seen as the GOP's best shots at securing representation on the council. Still, party politics traditionally hold little weight in most council decisions, and votes rarely fall down partisan lines. District 3 councilwoman faces a federal indictment and three challengers Tiawana Brown is seeking reelection amid a federal indictment on charges of wire fraud. Brown and her two adult daughters are accused of filing false applications for federal pandemic relief loans and spending loan money on personal expenses. Brown, who is in her first term serving west Charlotte's District 3, faces one of the more challenging incumbent paths to victory against three Democrats who all have political experience. Joi Mayo and Montravias King say they don't want to stake their campaigns on Brown's indictment, though, and want to focus instead on their own records. Mayo is a nonprofit leader and community activist whose work focuses on preservation and responsible growth, among other issues. King is a former Elizabeth City councilman who has worked as a legislative assistant for Democrats in the North Carolina legislature. Democratic candidate Warren Turner represented the district from 2003 to 2011 and is seeking to reclaim his former office, but he brings his own baggage to the election. Turner was voted out of office after a sexual harassment scandal in which an outside law firm found evidence to support some allegations from a city employee. James Bowers also filed as a longshot Republican candidate in the deep blue District 3 for the third consecutive election. Brown pummeled him in 2023, when he received less than a quarter of the votes. Other Charlotte City Council races The at-large race is the most crowded this election season, with five current council members and seven newcomers seeking four seats. Dimple Ajmera, James 'Smuggie' Mitchell Jr., LaWana Slack-Mayfield and Victoria Watlington are the incumbent at-large representatives — all Democrat. Edwin Peacock, a Republican, was appointed to serve out the remainder of Bokhari's term this spring and is running for an at-large position that, if successful, would unseat one of his current colleagues. Peacock also was the last Republican to win an at-large seat in 2009. Democratic candidates Matt Britt, Roderick Davis, Will Holley, J.G. Lockhart, Emerson Stoldt and Namrata Yadav, and Republican candidate Misun Kim, also filed. Several districts will have less complex candidate fields, with voters deciding between two Democrats in head-to-head contests. In District 1 Mayor Pro Tem Dante Anderson will face Charlene Henderson El, a community activist and friend of District 3's Brown. Councilwoman Renee Perkins Johnson in District 4 faces Wil Russell, a construction manager for affordable housing projects. This is a rematch of 2023, when Russell secured just 40.9% of the vote despite an endorsement from Lyles. Perkins Johnson had 52.3%. And Councilwoman Marjorie Molina in District 5 faces J.D. Mazuera Arias, the chair of the Hispanic Democratic Caucus of Mecklenburg County. Municipal elections in November Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will have at least two new leaders this year after two incumbents, Thelma Byers-Bailey and Summer Nunn, did not seek reelection. Every school board race will be competitive besides District 3, where incumbent Gregory 'Dee' Rankin was the only candidate to file. Outside of Charlotte, Mint Hill and Pineville could see some of the biggest leadership shakeups. Mint Hill Mayor Brad Simmons did not seek reelection. Town Commissioner Dale Dalton is one of two candidates seeking to replace him. Pineville will see an overhaul of its town council, with no incumbent seeking reelection. Councilwoman Amelia Stinson-Wesley is risking her seat to take on incumbent Mayor David Phillips for his position. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Some Mother Emanuel Families Say the Focus on Forgiveness Has Cost Them Justice
Malcolm Graham says that his sister's body was still in the morgue when he noticed that people were rallying around the importance of forgiving her killer. A librarian who loved her community, Cynthia Graham Hurd was one of the nine Black worshippers who were fatally shot on June 17, 2015, at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. She and other church members were in the middle of a Bible study session when the gunman walked into Mother Emanuel, sat with them for 45 minutes, and then opened fire. Malcolm Graham, who moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, for college, was getting ready for bed when he saw a news report about a shooting at the church that's been a haven for his family for more than half a century. After he learned that his sister had attended Bible study at Mother Emanuel that night and couldn't be found, he began preparing for the worst. Within days, some of the victims' family members said that they had forgiven the gunman, stressing that 'hate won't win,' and political leaders praised this spirit of forgiveness. Graham underscored that he respects that everyone walks in their faith differently. He also appreciates that, sometimes, forgiving is more about helping a victim's loved ones to move on than about absolving a perpetrator of their sins. Even so, in the 10 years since the shooting, Graham and others in the Mother Emanuel community feel as if the focus on forgiveness has come at the expense of crucial conversations on issues such as the ongoing dangers of racism and political action that might protect against hate crimes. 'I didn't forgive then, and I don't forgive now,' Graham, a member of the Charlotte City Council, told Capital B. He added that 'we need to ask tough questions' about discrimination and hatred — for instance, examine the radicalization that continues to occur through fringe online platforms — even if we have to sit with the discomfort of the answers. But that hasn't really happened, he said, 'because people want to race to forgiveness.' The other victims of the 2015 shooting were the Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Susie Jackson, the Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney (who also was a state senator), Ethel Lance, Tywanza Sanders, the Rev. Daniel Simmons, and the Rev. Myra Thompson. Busts memorializing the victims — who are known as the Emanuel Nine — were recently unveiled at Allen University, a historically Black school in Columbia, South Carolina, where many of them had connections. The university's Boeing Institute on Civility, which sponsored the project, said in a statement that the occasion 'represents both an act of tribute and a renewed commitment to confronting hate with hope.' This is a mission that the Emanuel Nine Memorial also embraces. Like Graham, Pinckney's wife is adamant about grappling with difficult conversations. Jennifer Pinckney and the couple's younger daughter, Malana, who was 6 years old at the time, survived the shooting by hiding under a desk in a church office while the gunman slaughtered the worshippers. In the years since, Pinckney, who has said that she has struggled with forgiveness, has been in the vanguard of a push to hold social media companies liable for how racism is incubated and spread online. The Pinckney family has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hold Facebook responsible for allegedly radicalizing the gunman, challenging legislation that broadly protects platforms from having to answer for content published on their sites. The family contends that though Facebook 'does not create extremists out of whole cloth,' it 'also is not just a fabric store' — its algorithm gave the gunman racist propaganda that 'led to the real-world consequence' of mass murder. Earlier this year, the family experienced a legal disappointment when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled 2-1 that the law affords Facebook immunity from liability for the content its users post. A strong opinion from the dissenting judge encouraged one of the family's attorneys to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, according to The Post and Courier. It could be months before the high court decides whether to hear the appeal. Alana Grant — Simmons' granddaughter — also is frustrated with the attention that forgiveness receives in the conversation around Mother Emanuel when political action in response to the shooting has lagged. It was a powerful move of the Holy Spirit, Grant told Capital B, for Nadine Collier to forgive the gunman mere days after he killed her mother, Ethel Lance. Lance was a church sexton, and just after the shooting, the cloud of despair hanging over Charleston was still as thick — and as oppressive — as the city's humidity during the summer. 'However, I believe that we have to stop weaponizing forgiveness and trying to use it as a tool to circumvent accountability,' Grant said. 'The Lord asks us to forgive, but he also asks us to take responsibility for our actions. I've been on my journey to forgiveness and healing, but people don't realize how much more difficult they make it when they focus on forgiveness, or they suggest that there's a certain way a community should respond to victimization.' Something Grant wants, she explained, is state hate crime legislation. Though most states have laws that explicitly address hate crimes — or acts motivated by bias against an identity category — South Carolina is one of the last remaining states without such laws. Reported hate crimes in South Carolina have ballooned by 77% in recent years, from 65 incidents in 2022 to 115 incidents in 2023, per the U.S. Department of Justice. On its website, the agency notes that 'even if a state or territory does not have a hate crimes law, hate crimes can still be reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation,' since there are federal hate crime laws. One of those laws, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, is named after a gay Wyoming student and a Black Texas man who were murdered in separate acts in 1998. In 2017, the Charleston gunman became the first person in the U.S. to be sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Still, many want a state hate crime law, given that the federal government has limited time and resources and that states conduct the vast majority of criminal prosecutions. Grant's husband, South Carolina state Rep. Hamilton Grant, said that it's unconscionable that South Carolina has no state hate crime law a decade after the shooting. Such legislation won't root out underlying prejudices, he acknowledged, but it can offer Black Americans stronger protections and options after experiencing hate violence. 'There seems to be no appetite to pass state hate crime legislation,' Grant told Capital B. 'When a hate crime bill has been introduced before, it's been introduced in the House, and it would pass the House, even with a Republican majority. But then it always gets hung up in the Senate. Just imagine the disrespect of a senator [Pinckney] being murdered — and his colleagues not even giving the bill so much as a hearing.' Opponents of the measure usually say very little, allowing it to quietly fade away, according to the Associated Press. Grant shared that he wonders whether some legislators worry that backing a hate crime bill might be viewed as supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion and 'wokeness' — which the Trump administration is fiercely pushing back against — and invite a primary challenge in the ruby-red state. 'I don't see anything like this passing the General Assembly,' he said. 'And it's sad and frustrating because though people might believe in the legislation, they feel like they can't publicly support it without losing their power.' While progress on the state level has been glacial, Richland County this month became the first county in South Carolina to pass a hate crime ordinance. This makes it illegal for someone to cause fear, intimidation, harm, or damage to a person or their property because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, and other identity characteristics. In the decade since the tragedy, Mother Emanuel has become a point of pilgrimage, a destination for people who visit Charleston. 'The church is a very special and tragic location,' Bernard Powers, a professor emeritus of history at the College of Charleston, told Capital B. 'When people visit friends or relatives who live in Charleston, those residents will frequently take them to the site if they haven't been there. If you're showing people around, this is one of the places you don't want them to miss.' He added that the church has become a site of activist meetings, particularly those intended to promote hate crime legislation and stricter gun-control legislation. 'What we didn't appreciate — and what we couldn't appreciate — at that point [in 2015] was that similar events were in the offing,' Powers said, noting the racist killings at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in 2022; a Walmart in El Paso, Texas, in 2019; and a synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018. 'There's a murderous trajectory that we've been on.' It's this deeper appreciation of the wider environment of hate that Graham, the Charlotte city councilman, hopes the country will embrace. 'Martin Luther King Jr. said when he gave a eulogy after the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing to pay less attention to the killer and more attention to the system that produced the killer,' Graham explained. He added, 'What system failures let this young guy become filled with so much hate — and then get the opportunity to act on that hate? My sister would have said, 'I know that I bore the brunt of what happened that night, but this attack was against all of us.'' The post Some Mother Emanuel Families Say the Focus on Forgiveness Has Cost Them Justice appeared first on Capital B News.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation honors her legacy a decade after the Mother Emanuel tragedy
CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) June 17th, 2025, will mark 10 years since the racially motivated shooting at Mother Emanuel in downtown Charleston, that took 9 people's lives. Thursday night, an event was held by a foundation dedicated to one of the victims, Cynthia Graham Hurd, who died that day. 'Do the work keep the faith,' said Cynthia's brother, Malcolm Graham, when asked what her message would be today. Thursday's national town hall meeting was called 'What's the Way Forward: 10 years after Charleston.' 'We come to celebrate the life and legacy of my sister, Cynthia. The impact she made on the Charleston community as a librarian. The love that she had for this community and our family and all the work she did when she was alive.' said Malcolm Graham. The event started with the band 'A sign of the times' with guest artist Toni Tupponce. After the service CNN political commentator and former state representative Bakari Sellers moderated a panel of charleston community leaders. The panel was made up of Cynthia's brother Malcolm Graham, President of the International African American Museum Tonya Mathews, Charleston County Chairman Kylon Middleton, and President of SC Association for Community Economic Development Bernie Mazyck. The conversation focused on how to move forward in racial justice in the Charleston community. 'We've got to get in there and we've got to change systems. Systems that create Dylan Roof. Systems create disparities. And there's enough to go around for everybody.' said Cynthia's brother, Melvin Graham. Cynthia's brother Melvin says the discussion is a reminder of the work to do to make sure this tragedy never happens again. 'It's doing the work. Malcolm has a saying tears and sweat are both salty: one gets you pity the other gets you results. We want to get results. We're going to accept what happen, that what we've done,' said Melvin Graham. 'Move forward and do the work. Try to let people know how much we appreciate them, and we set the tone for an entire nation for how to handle a tragedy: by coming together.' Malcolm Graham says you can honor Cynthia's legacy by reading a book, saying a prayer and getting civically engaged. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charlotte's bold power play to bring CIAA Tournament home
When it comes to HBCU basketball, few events match the energy, culture, and community of the CIAA Tournament. And now, Charlotte is putting on a full-court press to bring the iconic event back to the Queen City—where many believe it truly belongs. After hosting the CIAA Tournament from 2006 to 2020, Charlotte is bidding to reclaim it for the 2028–2030 cycle, challenging current host Baltimore for the future of one of Black college sports' most celebrated weeks. Despite a scheduling conflict in 2027, city leaders are confident that the revamped proposal signals a new era of commitment to HBCU excellence. Advertisement During its original run, Charlotte generated over $650 million in economic impact, drawing fans from across the country. This time, city officials are leaning into even stronger infrastructure: hotel capacity is up 38% since 2020, and major upgrades—like the $245 million renovation of Spectrum Center—highlight Charlotte's readiness to host on a grander scale. 'Charlotte was always the CIAA's spiritual home,' said Councilman Malcolm Graham, a Johnson C. Smith University alum. 'This is more than basketball. It's about culture, equity, and legacy.' The city's pitch also taps into North Carolina's new major events fund, created alongside sports betting legislation, potentially easing financial burdens. Hotel pricing concerns—once a deal-breaker—have been addressed to avoid requiring rigid rate structures. And with everything from fan fests to scholarship galas proposed within city-owned venues, security and experience take center stage. Baltimore, which has hosted the tournament since 2021, brings a strong track record, including a $1.5 million annual scholarship commitment. But Charlotte aims to match that and raise the stakes with a more centralized and culturally immersive experience. Advertisement The CIAA Board of Presidents will vote this summer. If successful, Charlotte could welcome the CIAA back starting in 2028—ready to rewrite history where it all began. Related: HBCU school sparks major buzz with bold talent move Related: HBCU legend makes unique decision on NCAA future
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Charlotte submits bid to bring back CIAA
Charlotte is making a serious bid to reclaim one of the premier events in HBCU sports. Charlotte and Baltimore are the only two cities vying to host future CIAA Basketball Tournaments, according to the conference office via the Charlotte Business Journal. The CIAA, composed of 13 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), is looking for a new home beginning in 2027 for its week-long basketball showcase, which includes 24 games and a host of community events. While Baltimore has hosted the CIAA Tournament since 2021 and holds the current contract through 2026, Charlotte's bid covers the 2028–2030 cycle due to existing scheduling conflicts at the Spectrum Center and the convention center in 2027. Despite that, Charlotte's pitch reflects a renewed commitment to HBCU culture, equity, and community impact. The city previously hosted the tournament from 2006 to 2020, generating more than $650 million in economic impact during that stretch. Charlotte's 2028 proposal highlights improved hotel capacity - up 38% since 2020 - enhanced transportation, and upgraded facilities, including the $150 million Hornets training center and a $245 million renovation of Spectrum Center. City officials, including Councilmen Malcolm Graham (a Johnson C. Smith alumnus) and James Mitchell (a North Carolina Central alumnus), have played key roles in shaping the "all-hands-on-deck" effort. The bid also leverages North Carolina's new major events incentives fund, created in conjunction with sports betting legislation. If awarded, this fund could help offset the costs of hosting the tournament. Hotel pricing, a sticking point in past bids, has been addressed without requiring locked-in rates from specific properties. Charlotte's pitch emphasizes centralizing all CIAA-related events - from luncheons to parties - within city-owned venues to enhance security and fan experience. There is also an effort to offer a scholarship package competitive with Baltimore's $1.5 million annual commitment to HBCU students. A final decision is expected this summer via a majority vote by the CIAA's 13 HBCU presidents. If accepted, Charlotte would welcome the tournament back in 2028, potentially following one final year in Baltimore. With its legacy, infrastructure, and renewed focus on HBCU excellence, Charlotte is aiming to re-establish itself as the long-term home of the CIAA Tournament. The post Charlotte submits bid to bring back CIAA appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
