How North Carolina’s legacy of a “citizen legislature” endures, with far-reaching effects on the state and its General Assembly.
February 2021
Posted inPlace
Behind the Piece: “Today’s Outlaws”
An interview with writer Belle Boggs and a look at the reporting behind “Today’s Outlaws.”
Posted inPolitics
Behind the Piece: “The Motivations of Phil Berger”
An interview with writer Kevin Maurer and a look at the reporting behind “The Motivations of Phil Berger.”
Posted inPlace
Today’s Outlaws
Extraordinary actions by law enforcement in Graham, North Carolina, briefly captured national headlines last Halloween. But the long-rooted violence it exposed, and the protest movement that endured, are here to stay.
Posted inPlace
Memory and Monuments in Tarboro
A national reevaluation of Confederate monuments met small-town politics. As the statue came down, the town of 11,000 was left to ask, “What’s next?”
Posted inEssays
Fathers and Strangers
Best selling author of The Last Ballad, Wiley Cash, reflects on his father’s journey from mill town to middle class, and the tensions of character and politics that emerged.
Posted inPlace
Oberlin’s Persistence
Buffeted by racism and urban development, Raleigh’s “premier African American suburb” was nearly lost in the wake of Cameron Village and Wade Avenue. As Raleigh reckons with its past, what’s next for a rising Oberlin?
Posted inPlace
Breaking Out of Purgatory
The North Carolina Zoo intentionally left the “city-zoo” model behind, with its sprawling footprint at the center of the state. Today, as zoos question their foundations and principles, that decision looks prescient.
Posted inPolitics
The Motivations of Phil Berger
The state’s most powerful politician enters his 20th year in office but remains inscrutable as ever. As Republicans enter their second decade in power, what does Berger want?