Young Men for Christ Molds Boys Into
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WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM Can Democrats do the 2022 math? By Gary Pearce SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE North Carolina Democrats want to change the U.S. Senate math THE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE in 2022. But is their problem math or English? In 1990, Harvey Gantt lost the Senate race to Jesse Helms by "Celebrating Our 23rd Year" 100,000 votes. Afterward, a Democratic consultant assured me: “North Carolina’s demographics are changing. We’ll win next VOLUME 23 NO. 21 WEEK OF MAY 23, 2021 $1.00 time.” Thirty years later, Cal Cunningham lost the Senate race to Thom Tillis – again, by 100,000 votes. The electorate definitely has changed. In 1990, 2 million people voted. In 2020, 5.5 million voted. The percentages have changed. Gantt lost by 5%; Cunningham, by 1.7%. But the out- Ben Wallace and come was the same. In fact, Democrats have lost 9 of 11 Senate races since 1990. Demographics haven’t changed Democrats’ Bobby Dandridge earn destiny. North Carolina is growing fast. We added nearly a million basketball Hall of people between 2010 and 2020, from 9.5 million to 10.4 million, Fame nods. a 9.5% growth rate. We’re one of just six states that will get another congressional seat. Many of the new people are urban, college-educated, younger, and racially and culturally diverse – more likely to be Democratic voters. But many people moving here obviously aren’t voting Demo- Please see DEMS/2A UNC Critical backs race down theory is on offer not for By Joe Killian and Kyle Ingram debate THE POLICY WATCH After conservative criti- By Thomas Mills cism, UNC-Chapel Hill SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE backs down from offering Republicans have found acclaimed journalist ten- their latest racial bugaboo. ured position. They’ve elevated something The Jour- called critical race theory to nalism school a threat to the country, will instead another plot to indoctrinate offer Nikole our children in Marxist Hannah-Jones thought. The North Carolina a fixed five- house passed a bill to pre- year contract vent it from being taught in In her ca- schools, and North Carolina Hannah- reer in jour- COURTESY Jones Troy Johnson, front row center, holds barber shop talks for young boys. Congressman Dan Bishop, nalism, author of the Bathroom Bill, Hannah-Jones has been introduced similar legisla- awarded the Pulitzer Prize tion in Congress. and a MacArthur Fellow- Critical Race Theory is not ship “Genius Grant.” But some curriculum being despite support from the Young Men for Christ adopted by schools systems. UNC-Chapel Hill chancellor It’s the theory that certain and faculty, she won’t be people have been discrim- getting a tenured teaching inated against, and continue position at her alma mater. molds boys into men to be, because of their race At least not yet. and that the discrimination is As Policy Watch reported systemic. Racism, propo- last week, political pres- By Freda Freeman mentorship program has do, they will find something to worked with more than 300 do,” Johnson said. nents believe, is ingrained in sure from conservatives CORRESPONDENT our institutions and con- who object to her work on boys. The four cornerstones of YM4C gives boys plenty to RALEIGH – Troy Johnson’s tinues to adversely affect mi- “The 1619 Project” for The the program are love, consis- do. The program includes 12- father wasn’t around much, so norities, especially African New York Times Magazine, tency, opportunity, and expo- week virtual mentoring ses- his grandfather stepped in to Americans. the school changed its sure. sions, serving boys as far as fill those shoes. Today, Republicans want to pre- plan to offer her tenure — “Our mission is to create New Jersey, Chicago, Florida, Johnson’s ministry, YM4C, vent teaching that one group which amounts to a career- strong, self-aware, responsible and Texas. During the weekly tries to offer young Black boys of people subjugated long appointment. Instead, young men one conversation 40-minute one-on-one ses- what they may be missing in another group. They argue she will start July 1 as Pro- at a time. It is easier to build sions, Johnson said the boys their lives. that we’re all individuals and fessor of the Practice, with strong children than to repair set personal and academic Johnson started YM4C, we all make individual deci- the option of being re- broken men. We acknowledge goals to help prepare them for which stands for Young Men sions, so teaching that white viewed for tenure at the the need for a consistent pos- life’s challenges. They discuss for Christ, in 2017 to educate, people, as a group, discrim- end of that time period. itive male presence in the lives self-esteem, stress manage- empower, and encourage un- inated against Black people “It’s disappointing, it’s of those we serve. I was 12, I ment, coping skills, conflict derserved young men ages 9 implies that all white people not what we wanted, and I was 15, and I get it. If you resolution, diversity, positive to 17. Since that time, the don’t give them something to Please see YM4C/2A are racist. In other words, the am afraid it will have a people who have pushed dis- chilling effect,” said Susan criminatory voting laws, pro- King, dean of UNC Huss- tected Confederate man. monuments on public prop- “The 1619 Project” is a erty, denied police brutality long-form journalism un- disproportionally affects Af- dertaking that, as the Pulit- LIFE AFTER LOCKDOWN rican Americans, and ignore zer Center put it, discrepancies in stats like the “challenges us to reframe mortality rate for Black U.S. history by marking the babies are concerned that year when the first en- Raleigh man fights to remove our children will be taught slaved Africans arrived on that racism is still alive and Virginia soil as our nation’s well in the U.S. today. foundational date.” Han- the stigma from incarceration Laws, customs, marketing, nah-Jones, who is Black, and social norms throughout conceived of the project the 20th century indicate and was among multiple that they are wrong. Jim staff writers, photogra- This series was produced in partner- Crow laws were enacted by phers and editors who put white people to prevent the ship with the Pulitzer Center it together. social and economic ad- The project sought to vancement of Black people. spur a reexamination of By Herbert L. White THE CHARLOTTE POST All-white country clubs ex- how America teaches and isted long after the Civil celebrates its own history. Michael Watkins spent a life- Rights Act of 1964. Congress It caused debate among ac- time finding work after prison. mandated that possession ademics, journalists, even The Raleigh resident struggled and sale of crack cocaine was within The New York with low-wage jobs – if he treated differently from the Times itself. Criticisms of could find one – after he was blow being used by members its accuracy by some freed from lockup more than of Congress and their off- prominent historians led three decades ago after serv- spring. Redlining prevented to edits and clarifications, ing a six-month stretch for fel- African Americans from ac- but Hannah-Jones and the ony breaking and entering as a cumulating wealth like their Times stand by the proj- 26-year-old. Without the eco- white counterparts. Black ect, the introductory essay nomic means to support him- kids receive harsher dis- to which won her the 2020 self with a series of low-wage cipline in school, and Black Pulitzer for commentary. jobs, Watkins was housing in- COURTESY men get harsher sentences in Last summer, Hannah- secure and the cycle of uncer- Michael Watkins celebrates at his Campbell graduation. the courtroom. Jones went through the tainty was unrelenting. But let’s not talk about all come homeless in the streets the state's incarcerated. What rigorous tenure process at “I was released from prison that, Republicans say. They of Raleigh.” happens to them upon their re- UNC, King said. She sub- in March of 1989, with the want us to learn what they Watkins’ experience is far lease often determines mitted a package King said hopes of getting great oppor- learned in school. The Con- from exceptional. More than whether they return to prison was as well reviewed as tunities in Raleigh,” Watkins federacy was a noble but 22,000 people are released or ever become contributing any King had ever seen. wrote in an email. “I was only misguided cause. Most slave from North Carolina’s state members of society. Hannah-Jones had enthusi- able to land fast-food jobs, or owners treated their slaves prison system annually and “It’s very difficult but every astic support from faculty at best, work in call centers; in well, so the institution wasn’t 98% of all incarcerated will be reentry is a separate story, and and the tenure committee, either event, I never made really that bad. Discrim- released in the future. The there are as different as the with the process going more than $10/hour, and, as ination ended with the civil stakes are higher for Black you know, is impossible to live Please see RACE/2A Plase see UNC/2A on in Raleigh. I would soon be- people, who make up 61% of Please see RALEIGH/2A Index 5007 South Park Drive, Publisher: Gerald O. Johnson Suite 200-G Managing Editor/Sports Editor: Bonitta Best 1A 5A News Religion Durham, NC 27713 Advertising: Linda Johnson 4A 6A Classifieds Sports (919) 688-9408 [email protected] 8A Focus © 2021 The Triangle Tribune www.triangletribune.com 2A NEWS/The Triangle Tribune Sunday, May 23, 2021 YM4C molds young UNC backtracks on hire of boys into men acclaimed journalist after Continued from page 1A experience.” In March, fol- Black men in their lives relationships, and making lowing the etiquette train- who are positive role conservative ire healthy choices.