The Triangle Durham Black-Owned Biz Face Unique Challenges
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WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Berger attacks The Triangle education leaders over BLM By Greg Childress RIBUNE THE POLICY WATCH TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, continued his attacks on state educators Monday, this time targeting the North Caro- VOLUME 22 NO. 38 WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 $1.00 lina Association of Educators’ leadership for its support of Black Lives Matter at School, a national coalition of teachers that pro- motes racial justice in education. Berger’s criticism of the “far-left” NCAE came days after its Triangle Women in Golf president, Tamika Kelly Walker, posted a tweet urging educators to sign a petition pledging to participate in the coalition’s “Black Kidz program Lives Matter at School’s Year of Purpose” by initiating social jus- producing future golf tice and political activities in classrooms. He contends that sup- port for the coalition creates a “credibility crisis” for the NCAE leaders. because the coalition’s motto is written by Assata Shakur, the former Black Liberation Army member convicted of being an ac- complice in the 1973 murder of a New Jersey State Trooper. Shakur escaped prison and now lives in Cuba, where she was granted political asylum in the early 1980s. “The organization’s motto, written by the cop-killer terrorist, comes from a larger Please see BLM/2A NC gov Senate race sets foes pace for trade Dems barbs at By Bryan Anderson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS debate RALEIGH — Joe Biden may have one of his best By Gary D. Robertson chances for a Southern vic- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS tory in North Carolina, where he stands to benefit RALEIGH — North Carolina from a mild-mannered Republican Sen. Thom Tillis Democratic governor and Democrat Cal Cunning- praised for his balanced ham battled over the govern- RAMISHAH MARUF approach to controlling ment’s COVID-19 response the coronavirus. Four Owner Phyllis Terry stands outside her restaurant, JC’s Kitchen. and a future vaccine in a de- years after he narrowly bate Monday, kicking up a won the politically divided notch a campaign that could state carried by then-can- determine the Senate’s con- Durham black-owned biz trol. didate Donald Trump, Gov. Roy Cooper has a Tillis, who is seeking a sec- double-digit lead over his ond term, was largely the ag- Republican challenger, Lt. face unique challenges gressor in their first televised Gov. Dan Forest, in a July debate for the seat in a poll. Cooper’s reelection after church to share platters manently closing an estimated closely watched race in the By Ramishah Maruf closely divided state. Demo- path offers clues to what UNC MEDIA HUB of Oxtail and mac and cheese. 25% of the city’s Black-owned will work for Southern Durham has changed, and businesses, according to CJ crats need to win four ad- Democrats in an election DURHAM – The walls of JC’s the COVID-19 pandemic has Broderick, the president and ditional seats in November to cycle that also will deter- Kitchen in downtown Durham changed it even more. Outside CEO of the Greater Durham ensure control. Tillis, a mine control of the White tell of an establishment frozen her small, red building that Black Chamber of Commerce. former state House speaker House and Congress. in time – before a pandemic- was built in 1955, Terry points In a city facing rapid gentrifi- who beat incumbent Kay On the surface, the induced recession, before a down the street to a new cation, JC’s Kitchen is still Hagan six years ago, said strategies used in the summer of racial justice pro- apartment building. alive because of its namesake he’s worked hard while in Cooper-Forest contest — tests, and even before owner Just behind her is the glass and the loyalty of the local Washington to get relief one of the few closely Phyllis Terry took over the res- police station that opened in community, Terry says. funds to North Carolina’s watched 2020 gubernato- taurant 12 years ago. 2018. “We can see the tearing Durham has long heralded schools and for vaccine re- rial races — appear to mir- The signs inside are devoted down of the buildings,” Terry its history of Black entrepre- search. He said President ror those of Biden and to God, prayers on every table. said. neurship. N.C. Mutual Life, the Donald Trump also took a President Trump. Gospel music blasts through “I can name too many things largest and oldest Black- “good first step” early on by While other Southern the restaurant, though no one that were here back in the day, owned insurance company in imposing a travel ban from governors followed but Terry is listening. but now, we're the only build- the United States, is a staple of China. Trump’s lead, shunning JC’s, which stands for Jesus ing still sitting.” the downtown skyline. Tillis accused Cunningham mask mandates, Cooper Christ’s, was a center for the The COVID-19 pandemic has Durham was home to a of failing to back the Senate’s ordered that face cover- disproportionately affected latest virus relief package Hayti District’s church com- Please see DURHAM/2A ings be worn in public, but munity — families gathering minority communities, per- that lacks elements of the he put the onus on busi- Democrats’ preferred HE- nesses to enforce it and re- ROES Act bill. Cunningham frained from ticketing said there are a lot of posi- individual offenders. He tives in the Senate bill, but it also took a balanced ap- doesn’t go far enough. “In a proach to shutdowns, clos- crisis, you don’t go for per- ing bars and gyms while US Senate challenger supports fect. You go for good steps in allowing all businesses in the right direction,” Tillis which customers could so- said at a Raleigh television cial distance to open at a studio, adding Cunningham Poor People’s Campaign agenda was “for every provision of reduced capacity. Unlike other Democratic gov- the bill but for the fact that SUBMITTED BY POOR PEOPLE’S he would vote against it.” ernors, he placed few re- CAMPAIGN strictions on construction But Cunningham, a Raleigh and supported in-person U.S. Senate challenger Cal attorney and Iraq War vet- school instruction. Cunningham responded to the eran who ran for Senate 10 Halbert Carmichael, 82, policy priorities of the Poor years ago, blamed Tillis for partly credits Cooper for People’s Campaign during a failing to act after the first the fact that his Raleigh re- town hall, saying he supports time he was briefed on the tirement community, with a living wage, health care for virus in late January. about 150 residents, has all and restoration of the full “I think that we are seeing only had a few positive Voting Rights Act. and experiencing an un- cases. Nursing homes and Cunningham, the Democrat precedented failure of lead- residential care facilities who’s challenging Republican ership in this country,” he account for half of the incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis, said, without directly men- state’s coronavirus deaths. said he supports several meas- tioning Trump. “By his own “I feel like Governor ures to ameliorate poverty in admission, Sen. Tillis did Cooper’s done a fairly North Carolina and the coun- nothing for over a month.” good job, and I have abso- try, including a $15 an hour Left to right: Cal Cunningham and the Rev. William Barber II But Tillis countered by say- lutely no faith in the Re- minimum wage, Medicaid ex- paign study, conducted by a N.C. A&T State University who ing the January briefing still publicans,” Carmichael pansion and expansion of an researcher at Columbia Univer- is fighting gerrymandering; raised uncertainty about the said. earned income tax credit. sity, showing a small uptick in and Claudia Diaz of Burling- extent of the virus’ danger. Still, some want Cooper He spoke during the first of the number of poor and low in- ton, who arrived in the U.S. at On a potential rapid arrival to go further in enforcing several Senate town halls that come can change the political 7 years old as an undoc- of a coronavirus vaccine, public health directives. the Poor People’s Campaign is calculus of the nation. “Serving umented immigrant from Mex- Cunningham said he would While law enforcement sponsoring in key states. Tillis means making sure that the ico and was able to gain be concerned about receiv- agencies have been reluc- didn’t respond to numerous voices of those who had been citizenship, had pertinent ing a vaccine at year’s end tant to punish businesses attempts to reach him. left out and the voices of those questions for Cunningham. unless many questions were and individuals defying “This issue of poverty and who have been left behind are “For the 4.5 million folks that answered, especially by the public health orders, the low wealth is not an issue on finally heard in the halls of the are living in poverty in North U.S. Food and Drug Admin- governor said in an inter- the margins,” said the Rev. U.S. Senate,” Cunningham told Carolina, what kind of policies istration. He said he’s wor- view that a lot of enforce- William J. Barber II, co-chair of the thousands of people who are you going to try to enact to ried about the influence of ment actions happen the Poor People’s Campaign: A joined the town hall online. help people like us, people politics and big money in outside of public view, and National Call for Moral Revival.