Written by: Carl Kenney

Senator Mike Woodard Faces Endorsement Setback Over Voting Record

By Carl Kenney

October 2, 2023

Published 11:58 am, October 2nd, 2023 (Mike Woodard greets Durham voters at a press conference. (Photo by Jailyn Neville)  North Carolina Senator Mike Woodard (D-Durham) did not receive endorsements from INDY Week or Durham People’s Alliance in his run for mayor due to questions about his recent voting history.  In its recently published list of […]

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African Dance is back at Hayti

By Carl Kenney

April 28, 2022

(Ivy Burch, front right, leads the group in traditional African movements.  (Staff photo by Anthony DeHart) After nearly 2 years of virtual meetings, African Dance is back in person at the Hayti Heritage Center. African Dance! – Every Monday! For more than 17 years, The Hayti Heritage center has been home to the Hayti Rhythms […]

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Celebrating a pioneering Black community newspaper

By Carl Kenney

April 12, 2022

Some claim that it’s always Black History Month — so then it’s never too late to celebrate the pioneering work of a bold and enterprising young Black journalist, Milton B. Robinson who, in 1945 launched The Harris Herald, billed proudly as the “Only Negro Newspaper in Rutherford County.”             Robinson’s publication was a groundbreaking, heroic […]

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Honoring our spirit mother, Martha Flowers, 96

By Carl Kenney

When Martha Flowers passed, I bet there was a band of heavenly angels out there at the Pearly Gates to welcome her to the heavenly chorus. For Martha Flowers could sing. Our spirit mother and world-class opera diva, Martha died peacefully on Friday, March 11, at the Jim and Betsey Bryan Hospice Home in Pittsboroafter […]

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Finding peace in El Salvador

By Carl Kenney

November 12, 2021

By Camila Villatoro DCI Cristo Rey High School Intern The Durham VOICE Three thousand miles from Durham, there’s a little country at the southern end of Central America that many people may not be familiar with. El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America, has almost 6.5 million people, and is heavily populated for being […]

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Falling for Autumn – activities for youth in the Durham area

By Carl Kenney

By Rosemarie Dole DCI/Cristo Rey High School Intern The Durham VOICE Even though autumn came late to Durham this year, there’s still enough colorful leaves on the trees to enjoy the season. Looking for ways to not only celebrate the fall season but also ways to get out of the house from Covid lockdowns before […]

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Hillside drama students present ‘A State of Urgency’ this weekend

By Carl Kenney

November 10, 2021

In response to the crisis of gun violence in Durham, the Hillside High School Drama Department, under the direction of legendary director Wendell Tabb, presents the original play, “A State of Urgency,” subtitled, “A call to action to stop gun violence.”             The play will run this weekend with four performances at Hillside High School, […]

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Making standardized tests optional would level the playing field

By Carl Kenney

November 5, 2021

By Lesly Santos DCI Intern The Durham VOICE American College Testing, (the ACT), is a test costing from about $55-$77 required of high school juniors and seniors applying for admission to most colleges and universities. Over the last couple years schools have been debating whether to keep these standardized tests. Due to Covid 19, schools […]

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Seeing the World Through a Different Lens

By Carl Kenney

May 14, 2021

        I started working with The Durham VOICE my freshman year of high school. Needless to say, I did not start as the Teen Editor-in-Chief of The VOICE. When I was younger, I would just go out with my phone and take pictures of other people, so I started as a photographer. Whenever I was […]

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Combating COVID through local investments

By Carl Kenney

April 17, 2021

Duke Energy Foundation invests in the youth-serving nonprofits and educational organizations to help combat the effects of COVID-19 on students. While the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19 reverberate across all communities in our state, youth-serving nonprofits and educational organizations continue to orient their focus to countering these effects in communities hit hardest by the pandemic. This […]

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Growth in the Midst of a Pause

By Carl Kenney

February 13, 2021

While the COVID-19 pandemic brings many organizations and plans to a halt, one Durham organization uses the opportunity to expand its reach. East Durham Children’s Initiative and Partners for Youth Opportunity are excited to announce their merger to form Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI). This merger has allowed for a significantly expanded capacity to help Durham […]

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Online school during Covid: a student/mentor learns to balance

By Carl Kenney

February 4, 2021

Life in this pandemic has not been easy for any of us. Some people have lost their jobs, lost family members, lost their homes and have struggled greatly. Many other people are just stuck at home watching the world change. Meanwhile, one hardship I have faced during this pandemic has been dealing with online school. […]

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DCI honors MLK’s legacy

By Carl Kenney

January 27, 2021

In this month of celebration of the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Durham Children’s Initiative has recreated the slain civil rights leader’s iconic “I Have A Dream” speech, as read by various teens from Durham. Give a listen.

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UNC-CH honors Black music faculty trailblazer, Martha Flowers

By Carl Kenney

January 23, 2021

Martha Flowers came to the front door prepared for her photo shoot, looking every bit like a diva — dressed for a concert, pearl necklace, and a smile that could – and did – light up Broadway. Diva; I may not know what that means technically, and I have a hunch its like when someone […]

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Remembering LeRoy Walker Jr. : Shedding light on a piece of Durham history

By Carl Kenney

January 22, 2021

A little over a year ago, Prof. Jock Lauterer gave me a call alerting me that the Durham VOICE would have an esteemed visitor at our “newsroom,” what was then Partners for Youth Opportunity’s (PYO) office located on the second floor of the WG Pearson Center. “Koonce,” he said. “We’ve got LeRoy Walker coming to […]

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Spreading December cheer: Durham Children’s Initiative reimagines “Holiday Zone”

By Carl Kenney

December 23, 2020

Story by Madison Reese DCI Intern  The Durham VOICE Photos by Khadijah McFadden Teen Editor-in-Chief Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI) created “Holiday Zone” seven years ago to provide Christmas gifts for Durham families who need them. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, however, the traditional way Holiday Zone is executed had to change. The Holiday Zone […]

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Triangle Performance Ensemble Presents First virtual performance of Black Nativity Durham

By Carl Kenney

December 18, 2020

Annual Durham Production Streams On Demand for the 14th Christmas Season One of Durham’s top traditions continues this weekend in a nontraditional way. Triangle Performance Ensemble presents Black Nativity Durham as a virtual production for the first time in its history due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Produced by Wendell Tabb and co-produced by Xavier Cason, […]

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Hunting for a Great Pumpkin during Covid

By Carl Kenney

November 28, 2020

By Leslie Santos DCI Intern My friend, Lauryn Perry, and I were looking for something to do one day this fall, but with Covid-19 throwing things into chaos, we didn’t know exactly what. In late October, with Halloween just around the corner, we decided to hunt for sunflowers and to go to a pumpkin patch. […]

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Frontline Fellowships help youth learn and give back during pandemic

By Carl Kenney

November 6, 2020

By Khadijah McFadden Teen Editor-in-Chief Covid-19 has changed many people’s lives, some for the better and others for worse. One of those changes include their work predicaments. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, almost 19 million people lost their jobs or stopped working for a period of time due to Covid. The BLS found […]

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Gauging Durham’s election pulse

By Carl Kenney

November 4, 2020

By Nway Dee DCI Intern The Durham VOICE This year’s in-person voting, as part of Election 2020, began October 15 for North Carolina residents.  People started rushing to polling locations during the first week and many of those voting are also urging others to vote early or as soon as possible.  Voting is vital and […]

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50 years later: they’re “still in the fight”

By Carl Kenney

October 30, 2020

By Jock Lauterer Founding Publisher The Durham VOICE Fifty years ago this past spring, four outstanding 18-year-old Black graduating high school seniors from a rural high school in Western North Carolina teamed up to express their gloves-off opinions about the first year of school integration and the state of race relations. Earlier this fall, those […]

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Furry friends providing support and companionship during pandemic

By Carl Kenney

October 7, 2020

I recently lost my long-time companions, Simba and Nala. The pair of Rottweilers, both dying from old age — Nala at 12 and Simba at 13 — were integral family members since I was a toddler. I think about my dogs daily and often wonder how pets and their owners are faring during this pandemic […]

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Managing the stress of Covid-19

By Carl Kenney

By Antoine Freeman             In early August a man in Pennsylvania was charged with shooting at an employee of a cigar shop. This violence started when the cigar shop employee told the man, Adam Zaborowski, 35, to wear a mask. According to local news reports, Zaborowski allegedly fired shots at the store clerk and later, […]

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Covid-19 Chronicles: Jem Rahlan

By Carl Kenney

September 18, 2020

https://overcast.fm/+gbOiCoPJI Jem is a student at Durham Tech Community College.  Join us for a conversation with Jem! Listen through the link above or on Spotify!

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Covid-19 Chronicles: Kira Lee

By Carl Kenney

https://overcast.fm/+gbOjSL2iU Kira Lee is a former member of PYO’s Youth Advisory Board and a student in Durham. Join us for a conversation with Kira — listen through the link above or on Spotify:

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Covid-19 Chronicles: Khadijah McFadden

By Carl Kenney

https://overcast.fm/+gbOgHtBVU Khadijah McFadden is the Teen Editor-in-Chief of the Durham VOICE and a senior at Research Triangle High. Join us for a conversation with Khadijah! Listen by clicking the link above or going on Spotify:

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Covid-19 Chronicles Episode: Nathan Gomez

By Carl Kenney

September 2, 2020

https://overcast.fm/+gbOg96pas Nathan Gomez is a former member of PYO’s Youth Advisory Board and a student at City of Medicine Academy. Join us for a conversation with Nathan! Listen on the link above or on Spotify:

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Covid-19 Chronicles Episode: Rocky Jones

By Carl Kenney

https://overcast.fm/+gbOiLG2lk Rocky Jones is a contributor for the Durham VOICE and senior at C. E. Jordan High school. Join us for a conversation with Rocky! Listen above or on Spotify:

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Covid-19 Chronicles Episode: Chamiya Edwards

By Carl Kenney

https://overcast.fm/+gbOhM7Jxg Chamiya Edwards is a former member of PYO’s Youth Advisory Board, founder and owner of Knicknack Cupcakes (https://wopita.com/knicknack.cupcakes) and a student at Durham Tech Community College. Join us for a conversation with Chamiya! Listen by clicking the link above or on Spotify:

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Staying strong while dreaming of returning to ‘normal’ school days

By Carl Kenney

August 15, 2020

After a long, unexpected and crazy break during the coronavirus pandemic, it is now time for students to “return” to school. School this year will look a lot different than any other. This year the majority of local schools will be online for probably the entirety of the fall semester however, chances could creep up […]

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Managing a Covid Quinceanera

By Carl Kenney

May 16, 2020, was the day I was going to transform into a young woman. That is, until Covid 19. This is the story of how Covid 19 impacted what was supposed to be a day to remember. I know what you might be thinking: “What is a quinceanera?”  A quinceanera, also referred as a […]

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Pandemic puts season on hold for student athletes

By Carl Kenney

Editor’s Note: This story was written just before the NCHSAA announced the postponement of high school athletics for fall 2020. Volleyball and cross country are the first sports that will be allowed to practice: both start practice Nov. 4 with the first competition set for Nov. 16. Covid-19 has affected the world in ways we’d […]

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Covid-19 Chronicles: Zooming in on Durham Youth

By Carl Kenney

August 14, 2020

Covid-19 Chronicles: Zooming in on Durham Youth is a podcast series produced and reported for the Durham VOICE and community. Through this series, we are connecting with students who are involved with Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI), allowing them to share their journeys and experiences during Covid-19. My name is Margaret Gaw, and as a fellow […]

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We need to make the change

By Carl Kenney

August 13, 2020

Ever since George Floyd’s murder, there has been huge outrage from citizens of the United States. Many protests took place in every state in order to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Back in June, a peaceful protest took place in Durham downtown where numerous people marched. I believe that this is a […]

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East Durham Children’s Initiative and Partners for Youth Opportunity merge to become Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI)

By Carl Kenney

July 28, 2020

By David Reese, DCI President   July 1 marked a monumental day in the history of the Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI). Not only have we officially changed our name to reflect our county-wide work with families and our support of the development of the Durham County Early Childhood Action Plan (ECAP), but we have also signed […]

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NCCU Awarded $1M in Funding for New COVID-19 Project

By Carl Kenney

By Ayana Hernandez North Carolina Central University is one of six institutions awarded funds from a $6 million grant from the N.C. Policy Collaboratory at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for COVID-19 research and care. The announcement was made June 11 by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors’ Historically Minority […]

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The Talk: a message for our times

By Carl Kenney

June 11, 2020

Of late, there has been much talk about “the talk.” Now, a year and a half after a dramatic play by the same name debuted in Durham, a video version will begin streaming for a month, beginning today, Friday, June 12. (See details below.) “The Talk” dramatizes the frank conversation a black father must have […]

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Following the yellow brick road towards Durham Children’s Initiative

By Carl Kenney

May 6, 2020

“The yellow brick road with a pot of gold at the end,” are the words that David Reese, President and CEO of East Durham Children’s Initiative, uses to describe the upcoming merger between two local NGOs dedicated to helping Durham’s children have a better life.  On July 1, Partners for Youth Opportunity, led by Julie […]

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In memorium: Kenneth W. Edmonds, publisher of the Carolina Times

By Carl Kenney

Editor’s Note: With the passing of Kenneth W. Edmonds, publisher of the Carolina Times, we offer as a tribute this profile of Edmonds, his family and the long, proud legacy of the Carolina Times. Originally published in the Durham VOICE, spring of 2017, this article was written by then UNC-CH staff writer and VOICE co-editor, […]

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Wall Street Juniors: raising the next generation of entrepreneurs

By Carl Kenney

April 2, 2020

Durham is revered for Black Wall Street as a place where African Americans found economic prosperity in the early twentieth century. Now, a group that honors that legacy inspires the next generation of Durham entrepreneurs Wall Street Juniors Inc., a nonprofit founded by a Hillside High School alumna in 2018, teaches financial literacy to Durham […]

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‘This is all new territory’: How essential workers are coping with COVID-19

By Carl Kenney

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, public health groups such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are emphasizing the importance of engaging in social distancing and other methods of isolation to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. However, for essential workers such as first responders, grocery store cashiers […]

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Durham schools shift to remote learning in wake of COVID-19

By Carl Kenney

Hillside High School math teacher Raychelle Baptist had planned to teach her students about exponential curves after spring break. But then one such curve forced Durham Public Schools to close its doors. North Carolina reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 3, and just a few weeks later, the state now has over 1,800 […]

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Hillside’s Pony Express still fighting for recognition

By Carl Kenney

The 1981-82 Denver Nuggets.  The 1989-90 Loyola Marymount Lions.  The 2013 Denver Broncos.  All of these teams have one thing in common: each is the greatest offensive team in its respective league’s history. But before those teams came along, there was the 1965-66 Hillside High School Hornets, also known as the “Pony Express.” “No one […]

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LaMon Jones: carrying on the family stone masonry legacy

By Carl Kenney

He grew up around his family’s stone masonry business in Durham. Now, he wants to build on that foundation. LaMon Jones, 21, recently started a job with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association, a nonprofit that works to protect water quality in Northeast Central Durham. Jones said he was able to get his job at ECWA […]

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‘Beginning of an era’: Durham artist commemorates activists

By Carl Kenney

Crouching with a power tool in hand, Durham artist Stephen Hayes pressed chicken wire over an aluminum base and drilled it into place. Soon the structure was covered in smooth slate, and the acrylic top covered in a collage of old news clippings and photographs was placed on top. This marker now sits permanently outside the […]

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Two youth-based Durham nonprofits join forces in announced merge

By Carl Kenney

Two local nonprofits have announced exciting news: Partners for Youth Opportunity (PYO) and Durham Children’s Initiative (DCI) decided to merge as one nonprofit to scale their impact in Durham. On March 5, PYO held their annual Rise and Shine Breakfast fundraiser. During the breakfast the group discussed its report from the previous year and then […]

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‘Just ride this thing on out’: Durham businesses adjust to COVID-19

By Carl Kenney

With Durham County surpassing 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19, everyone is feeling the presence of the coronavirus. From social distancing to increased health and sanitation practices, the virus has caused everyone to make major changes in their lives. This includes Durham business owners. Those who’ve put blood, sweat and tears in to their businesses — […]

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Barbershop Zumba keeps community moving during gym closures

By Carl Kenney

Samuel and Sons Barbershop on Angier Avenue has been a pillar of community in Northeast Central Durham for years. The coronavirus pandemic isn’t changing that. Samuel Jenkins, owner of Samuel and Sons, decided to transform the barbershop into a Zumba studio in order to keep people moving while many of Durham’s recreational facilities and gyms […]

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