By Carl Kenney
September 10, 2018
N.C. Central University’s Men’s Achievement Center and National Council of Negro Women teamed up with Burton Elementary School to hand out school supplies to kids on their first day of school on Monday, Aug. 27. This event was planned as a way to connect with the community and increase engagement because schools make up […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
May 8, 2018
Maesa Al-Amin, 17, is a senior at Southern School of Energy and Sustainability. She is a competitive dancer on the school’s dance team with dreams of owning her own dance company and dancing in music videos. She has performed at the Durham Performing Arts Center for “An Evening of Entertainment” and at Hillside High […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 11, 2018
It was late morning, and the sun was peeking from behind the clouds as the students and leaders of Partners for Youth Opportunity arrived at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But the slightly overcast day did not stop them from a having an adventure. The PYO students and staff members were visiting […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 5, 2018
In 2013 StepUp Ministry, a Raleigh-based non-profit, sent an exploratory committee to Durham to discover if the city needed or wanted the program launched here, said Tim Wollin, 37, the program director for StepUp Durham. After two years and an invitation from the Durham community, StepUp Durham was born. Emily Dao-Forrester, 27, an employment […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 2, 2018
Un sábado típico para Angel, quien tiene 10 años, consiste de un desayuno saludable y balanceado, jugando soccer con sus amigos y aprendiendo algo nuevo en los programas sabatinos de East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) STEAM. Los sábados STEAM se enfocan en avanzar la educación en ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, arte y matemática para los estudiantes […]
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Los números cuentan la historia — sorprendentemente no es una novedad para Kevin Bullock, quien ejerce la posición de director de asuntos de equidad en las escuelas públicas del condado de Durham. La posición no existía hasta enero de 2017. Durante el año escolar 2016-17, los estudiantesblancos que componen 18.5 por ciento de la […]
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March 29, 2018
The middle school boy arrived from baseball practice to just in time to join the Lowe’s Grove pep band in opening the Creek Week event with their own rendition of “Feel Good Inc.” by Gorillaz. This song, along with a cheery performance by the pep band of “People Make the World Go Round,” provided a […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
March 28, 2018
The numbers tell the story, staggering but not new to Kelvin Bullock, who serves as Durham Public Schools director of equity affairs, a position that did not exist until January 2017. During the 2016-17 school year, white students – 18.5 percent of the district’s student population – vastly outperformed their Hispanic and black peers, who […]
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Back in 2006 the Durham native, Valencia Lipscomb, was the second freshman in the history of Hillside High School to make it to Company—one of two dance groups in Hillside Dance Company. Twelve years later, Lipscomb is the teacher for the Hillside Dance Company, which includes the two dance groups called Company and Sting, as well […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
Editor’s note: Some last names have not been disclosed to protect the privacy of individuals served by the East Durham Children’s Initiative. A typical Saturday morning for 10-year-old Angel consists of a healthy, balanced breakfast, playing soccer outside with his friends and learning something new at the East Durham Children’s Initiative’s (EDCI) STEAM Saturdays Program. […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
March 5, 2018
A recent study suggests that female students who are attracted to female students get suspended and expelled more than female students who are solely attracted to male students. Princeton University student Joel Mittleman performed a population-based study analyzing over 3,000 teenagers from birth. Part of the study included asking the participants their sexual orientations […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
February 28, 2018
One of Beth Revis’ books was canceled. Another one didn’t sell well. Another one was pushed back. Her agent rejected two others. “Everybody always assumes if you write a book it’ll be published,” Revis told the audience at the Third Annual Teen Literature Festival. “The first painting an artist paints won’t be hanging from the […]
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Nick Malinowski is in the profession of changing lives through music. He never imagined that his job would land him on a stage in Nashville, accepting an Emmy Award on Kidznotes’ behalf. Malinowski, the executive director of the Kidznotes program, is a North Carolina native who has a passion for kids and accessible music […]
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For the last 31 years, North Carolina Central University graduate Wendell Tabb, 55, has headed the theatre program at Hillside High School. In this time, he has transformed the humble high school stage to something more akin to professional theatre. Since 1995, Tabb has directed the International Professional-Student Theatre Exchange Program allowing drama students to […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
Eight-year-old Merone Tennant and her mother, Candy, stand in a hall of New Creation United Methodist Church on Clarendon Street in Durham. The two hunch over a map of the upper floor of the church overlaid with images of historic African-American figures, deciding who to visit next. Tennant has already been to Jackie Robinson’s room, […]
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Over 70 million people in the United States have a criminal record, ranging from minor crimes to serious offenses, according to the Council of State Governments Justice Center. Finding a job can be especially challenging for those with a criminal record. NCWorks Career Center is attempting to help former offenders become employed and overcome these […]
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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story misrepresented the planning process of the Girls in STEM event. The event was hosted by Hillside High School but was organized by the Durham Council of PTAs in partnership with the Bayer Corporation. We apologize for any confusion the earlier version of this story may have caused. […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
January 31, 2018
Under the large shelter at Durham Central Park, a crowd is gathered for Book Harvest’s annual Dream Big Book Drive. For seven years, Book Harvest has been holding the event in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. The drive started after Book Harvest founder and executive director, Ginger Young, began collecting […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
December 6, 2017
Editor’s Note: Lu Xu is a 10-year veteran Chinese broadcast journalist who, for the last two years, has been studying communications at the UNC-CH School of Media and Journalism, where she is a visiting international scholar. In her final semester at Chapel Hill, she joined the MEJO 459 “Community Journalism” class and became a […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
The principal of Pearsontown Elementary made a decision during his undergrad college studies that would change the course of his life and career forever. Rodriguez Teal, originally from Bennettsville, S.C., pursued his undergraduate education at N. C. Central University, graduating in 1986. At NCCU, he majored in public administration and studied vigorously for the […]
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Durham Public Schools kindergarten teacher Antonio Cowart sticks to his morals even when not around his students. After working for a moving company for a short time, the bubbly 27-year-old found his voice in rapping by using age-appropriate lyrics for children. Most people who hear his music consider him a “Christian rapper.” However, Cowart […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
November 29, 2017
The transition from middle school to high school can be a heavy load for teenagers everywhere. A sudden thrust into a different environment with new surroundings, more freedom, and a faster-paced curriculum are just some of the few things that these adolescents have to deal with. Faculty and staff at Global Scholars Academy in […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
November 26, 2017
At 9 a.m. on every first and third Saturday of the month, a classroom opens at the Community Family Life and Recreation Center at Lyon Park to the students of Girls Who Code. On Nov. 18, eight middle schoolers ages 11 to 14 marched in, and during the next three hours the girls generated their […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
How many of the students here are in this for the money, asks instructor Erica Hall. No hands rise. Hall looks out at the class, about a dozen faces, and tells them that what they’re learning to do won’t be about the fame either. Becoming a community health worker is all about helping your neighbors […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
November 23, 2017
Durham food security may take a blow due to policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Community members, policymakers, and experts met last Thursday in Durham to discuss the federal policy changes and outcomes. The meeting, entitled, “Can SNAP End Hunger? A forum on food justice,” was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
November 13, 2017
“Just because we don’t like it and don’t talk about it, doesn’t mean it’s going to go away.” These are the blunt yet all too truthful words of Auriela Sands Belle, the Executive Director for the Durham Crisis Response Center in Durham, North Carolina. This quote came during a domestic violence forum held at […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
November 8, 2017
The gym at R N Harris Elementary was bustling with activity on a recent Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of families came to participate in the STEM + Families: Community Family Fall Festival. The event on Oct. 28 was a partnership of Durham Council of PTAs and Bayer Corporation, and was made possible through a National PTA […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
October 26, 2017
The Hayti Heritage Center is a Durham landmark – one of few remaining buildings from Durham’s Hayti District. As a cultural arts education center, it has been offering events and activities since 1975. What many people may not know is that they also rent their facilities to host community initiated classes, weddings, dances, and anything […]
Read moreBy Qaadir McFadden
October 24, 2017
Nandi Reed-Bandele is a Durham native currently studying business at Bennett College in Greensboro. Partly because of her business-sense, Reed-Bandele recently received the 2017 UNCF/Koch Scholarship from the Koch Foundation. Beginning in 2014, through a $25 million grant, Koch Industries, Inc. started granting the scholarships to scholar entrepreneurs who have a love of innovation, challenging […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
This summer I had the opportunity to attend the Chuck Stone program at UNC-Chapel Hill. The program was started in 2007 for seniors in high school and honors the legacy of Professor Emeritus Charles “Chuck” Stone. Stone was a Tuskegee Airman during World War II and a prominent journalist. The experience taught me more about […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
October 18, 2017
The Durham board of education named Dr. Pascal Mubenga as the new superintendent in a brief meeting on Monday night. Mubenga was signed to a four-year contract with an annual salary of $222,500. He is expected to start around Thanksgiving. Mubenga will take the place of Dr. Bert L’Homme, who surprised the board by announcing […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
When Gloria Woods-Weeks was a student at Northern High School in Durham, she knew one day she wanted to serve others. Now, as principal at J. D. Clement Early College High School, that dream has been realized and she is hoping to help students and teachers achieve their own dreams. As a first-generation college student, […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
October 4, 2017
On a recent Wednesday, a small group of women took a break from the demands of the outside world to focus on themselves at Collective Wellness in Durham. The free Wednesday workshop, this particular week, focused on reflecting on individual values, beliefs and language to live one’s best life. Each week there is a […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
North Carolina Central University School of Law held a panel on special education student rights titled “Educational Plans in the North Carolina School System.” The panel, held last Wednesday Oct. 20, was one of many that they will be hosting as a part of their Virtual Justice Project, which aims to address the under-representation of […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
September 21, 2017
Minnie Forte-Brown and Cora Cole-McFadden have a storied history here in Durham. Both are alumni of the former Whitted Junior High School where they now sat, sharing a laugh as they tripped down memory lane alongside an enthusiastic group of city and county officials, school board members, and others during the ribbon cutting and […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
When Sarai Chandler walked into her new classroom for the first time, she was greeted with empty desks and bare walls. This is the plight faced by many new teachers in Durham Public Schools, where one often must purchase his or her own school supplies. This burden falls particularly hard on new teachers in […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
September 20, 2017
The state-of-the-art building that houses Hillside High School and Hillside New Tech High School is experiencing a significant enrollment increase this academic year. The building, which was built for 1,500 students, now is opening its doors every morning to almost 1,700. This year, large freshman classes and individual transfer students have pushed the building’s […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
How did the meal start? Where did it come from? For many, these are not questions that would cross people’s minds before a meal. But it’s the norm for the children at SEEDlings. In front of them are scrambled eggs and fried rice with eggplant, topped with mint, basil and marigold. The children helped cook […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
Summer break and all of its familiar facets like pools, naps and no homework just weren’t enough for Jasir Haynes and Jalen McKoy. The two Hillside High School students wanted to use their vacation time to try to better themselves and gain valuable skills and knowledge. By attending North Carolina Central University School of Business’s […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 19, 2017
O’Morris Jones and Jeremiah Lewis may only be 17 and 18 years old, but their plans for the future reach far beyond their ages. The two young men entered the Triangle Literacy Council’s new Bull City YouthBuild program in March, which provides participants with a nine-month, intensive learning environment to receive their high school equivalency and […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
The Durham City Council unanimously voted 7-0 to fund the education task force of the Mayor’s Poverty Reduction Initiative, now known as the 10.01 Transformation in Ten (T2) Initiative, at its April 17 meeting. The education task force will receive nearly $32,500 to assist in its new initiatives, Advancing Educational Outcome and Opportunities (AEOO) and […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
The Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE) named Lara Brickhouse, a Durham teacher, National Adapted PE Teacher of the Year last month for her contribution to the special needs community. According to its website, SHAPE America is an organization founded in 1885 that aims to “advance professional practice and promote research related to […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
Whether being recognized for her work with Durham’s urban youth or raising awareness and working to eliminate prejudice with the NAACP, Setrina Hunter is truly a strong brick in the foundation of Downtown and NorthEast Central Durham. After majoring in biology at N.C. Central University, she began a career as a clinical researcher working […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 5, 2017
What is your dream job? Is it to be a world-renowned chef, actor or maybe the CEO of a Fortune 500 company? Wendell Tabb has been living his dream for the past 30 years helping others reach their full potential. As Hillside High School’s, Drama Director Tabb has cultivated a thriving theater program, helping the […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
On a warm weekday morning in late March, while most Durham residents are at work or school, a group of about ten volunteers don bright green vests, sturdy gloves and old sneakers for a Creek Week cleanup event. They carry giant trash bags and begin making their way along the winding creek, picking up […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
For career and technical education students at the Holton Center, like senior Kaleb Shaw Lunsford, graduating is just one step along the path to a rewarding career – and they don’t have to travel it alone. Made in Durham, in partnering with the community, has made it their mission to ensure all Durham’s youth will […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
April 3, 2017
Editor’s Note: Following a recent incident near their high school, the Hillside Chronicle staffers of Hillside High School received some negative comments via social media about their school. Anonymous, of course. In response, the staff elected to write “Dear Durham” letters, aided by UNC-CH students from the Durham VOICE mentoring team which has worked with […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
March 20, 2017
Opportunities. Not handouts. When you think about it, it’s really not too much to ask. A chance to work and to prove one’s self worth. A chance to get into a good college. A chance to land a job or start a business that provides for a family. A chance to live a safe, […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
March 1, 2017
The Durham Colored Library was founded in the basement of a church in 1913 as the first African-American library in Durham. In 1940, the library moved to its current location at 1201 Fayetteville Street and was re-named the Stanford L. Warren library. It has since remained an important hub for the city’s African-American community. Hillside High School junior […]
Read moreBy Carl Kenney
A library’s basement meeting room, with its white walls and harsh fluorescent lighting, seems like an unlikely place to find a celebration of any kind, let alone one of African song and dance. Yet in such a room last Friday morning, traditional West African dancing, singing and drumming brought the place to life. Kwabena Osei […]
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