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The Mindful Parent

Family Matters: Disconnecting for Self-Protection Shavonda Bean Many of us were raised with the understanding that family comes first. You honor and respect your parents because they are your parents and elders are held in high regard. We protected the family at all costs and blood was always thicker than water!…
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Roddie Jr.’s Watchdog Foundation
Helps Make Owning Dogs Safer

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.…
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Addressing the Epidemic of Gun Violence Among Black Youth

Chablis Dandridge works to save Charlotte’s at-risk youth from the cycle of crime and punishment he experienced. By Sonja Whitemon A student at Rocky River High School was shot and killed after stepping off his school bus last fall. He played tight end on the football team, and he was planning to graduate this year.…
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The Vault: Highlighting the Importance of Preserving Black Art

By Ryan Kouame The Mint Museum Uptown will be highlighting the importance of stewarding and preserving Black art through an upcoming exhibition called The Vault starting July 1. Curated by artist, curator and custodian of Black art, Jessica Gaynelle Moss, this exhibition will present a range of vintage photography, original paintings, prints, sculptures, furniture, vinyl records and other Black ephemera from some of Charlotte’s most prominent Black art collectors.…
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Women Fire Fighter in Charlotte

Showing Courage and Inspiring the Next Generation By Anders J. Hare Molly Williams was the first known female firefighter –– and first known Black firefighter––in the U.S., working with the New York City Fire Department on Oceanus Company No. 11 in the 1780s.…
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Three Charlotte Teens Thrive in Business

Today’s youth have a new outlook on how to take control of their careers. According to a survey by the nonprofit organization Junior Achievement USA, “Over 60 percent of teens prefer starting a business over having a traditional job.” Many are even starting their businesses before the age of 18.…
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A Forensic Interviewer Uses Translation Skills to Advocate for Others

By John Burton Jr. According to a 2020 U.S. Census report, 1 in 5 residents speak a different language other thanEnglish in their household, and Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Korean rank among the highestlanguages used. Spanish has become the most common non-English language in America, with41 million native speakers and 12 million bilingual Spanish speakers, hence, the need forlanguage interpreters in this country is great.…
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Assistance League of Charlotte Supports At-Risk Students and Adults

The Assistance League of Charlotte (ALC) is a nonprofit volunteer-run organization dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children and families through community-based philanthropic programs. Their programs address upward mobility by providing food through mobile pantries and weekend backpacks, new school clothing, books and scholarships.…
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University City — the City Within a City

By John Burton Jr. Coined as “The city within a city,” University City has it all. From education, eateries, innovation, recreation, and even a train, this semi-suburbia provides a cornucopia of plenty to residents, businesses, and students. — This bustling area has vastly transformed since its humble beginnings in 1904 when The Mecklenburg County Poor House operated at the interchange of what is now North Tryon Street and W.T.…