Search Results for Derik

By Derik Hicks Charlotte has long been known as one of the fastest-growing cities in the Southeast. Now, recent data from LendingTree shows the city is also becoming a significant hub for Black entrepreneurship. According to LendingTree’s 2023 study analyzing data from the U.S.…

By Derik Hicks Charlotte’s creative landscape continues to evolve, and at the heart of that growth is the Queen City Culture Film Festival (QCCFF), a short-film festival founded by two Black women with deep roots in film, performance and community storytelling.…

By Derik Hicks When Jalen Hinton sat in his high school guidance counselor’s office and contemplated a four-year college degree, he said he felt the pressure to go to college and get a bachelor’s degree that many high school students face.…

The Power of Motherhood and Connection By Derik Hicks Ciera’ Harris is a powerhouse of resilience, community spirit and ambition — a source of inspiration for Black women and mothers in Charlotte and beyond. A Charlotte native, Harris is a 12th-grade English teacher, entrepreneur and the founder of various initiatives, including Black Girl Thriving (BGT) and the Black Mama Collective (BMC).…

By Derik Hicks An 8-year-old boy named Roddie Philip Dumas Jr. was fatally mauled by his father’s three pit bulls while innocently playing in his grandmother’s fenced-in yard in Charlotte on April 16, 2004. Tameaka Brown, Roddie’s mom, first learned about it while she was at work and was 7 1/2 months pregnant.…