Charleston Chronicle Exclusives
Metanoia and Lowcountry Local First Collaborate For Reynolds Avenue Community Storefront Project Opportunity
By Natalie Prioleau The sun sets, casting shadows on boarded, empty and abandoned buildings in the North area of Charleston. Passersby can witness large vacant spaces throughout the intersections of Rivers Avenue and McMillan Avenue and Rivers and Reynolds Avenue. The scene is all that’s left of a previously thriving commercial shopping center and strip…
Read MoreCAJM To Focus On Police Bias Despite Declining Jail Populations
By Barney Blakeney For some it may be hard to accept that criminal justice reform efforts are making a lot of headway despite continued reports that inmate recidivism and jail populations are declining. So I asked Charleston Area Justice Ministry President Rev. Charles Heyward what the organization thinks about those recent reports. A June report…
Read MoreUnpredictable Irma Had Predicable Impact In The Lowcountry
By Barney Blakeney Tuesday morning Charleston awakened to sunny skies, calm winds and the relief of having weathered Hurricane Irma relatively unscathed. The late summer beauty of the Charleston skies however belied the events of the previous day as the city experienced the wrath and wonder of nature. Hurricane Irma threatened Charleston for three days…
Read MoreNNPA EXCLUSIVE: ‘We Must Have a New Poor People’s Campaign and Moral Revival’
By Bishop William J. Barber, II, President, Repairers of the Breach Channeling the incisive analysis of our best historians, TaNehisi Coates cut through the talking points of political pundits last week to name Donald Trump America’s “First White president.” Writing for The Atlantic, the National Book Award recipient made clear how there could be no…
Read MoreMarvin Pendarvis Wins House 113 Democratic Nomination
By Barney Blakeney Barely an hour after the polls closed September 5 on the Democratic primary elections to field a candidate to fill the unexpired term in S.C. House Dist. 113, North Charleston attorney Marvin Pendarvis was declared the winner. Pendarvis handily beat rivals Angela Hanyak and Charleston County School Board member, Rev. Chris Collins. Pendarvis…
Read MoreJustice Dept.’s Failure to Respond Prompts Sept. 21 Community Action Meeting
By Barney Blakeney The NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Inc. is continuing its efforts to get the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) to release the report on its review of the North Charleston Police Department begun over a year ago. LDF officials say there has been no response from the Dept.…
Read MoreHeritage Trust Federal Credit Union Opens Student-Run Branch at R.B. Stall High
By Tolbert Smalls, Jr. Heritage Trust Federal Credit Union opened its newest student-run branch at R.B. Stall High School on August 30. The branch, which was built at the school on Ashley Phosphate Road, is open during the school’s lunch hour and is available to only students, faculty and staff member who will be able…
Read MoreCharleston’s Free Verse Festival Debuts in October
By Erica Veal Charleston’s first Poet Laureate, Marcus Amaker, is passionate about promoting poetry and a value for writing, especially in schools and among black and brown youth. Yet, he said, his newfound status didn’t come with a blueprint or money. Taking his lead from a similar event in Miami, Florida, he created the Free Verse…
Read MoreThree Blacks In November Races To Regain Chas. Council Seats
By Barney Blakeney The ballots are set for Charleston City Council elections November 7. Twelve candidates are confirmed running for the six council seats to be elected. They will compete for seats in the even numbered districts – districts two, four, six, eight, 10 and 12. All six incumbents in those districts are seeking re-election.…
Read MoreUnderfunded Mental Health Can Lead To Horrendous Crime
By Barney Blakeney The August 7 stabbing deaths of two young boys at the hand of their mentally ill uncle points to a need for more resources to support the mentally ill. Local law enforcement authorities say on any given day as much as 20 percent of the inmates at the Al Cannon Detention Center…
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