Charleston Chronicle Exclusives
Charleston Police Preliminary Audit Not Egregious, But Department Has Work To Do
By Barney Blakeney Preliminary results of the Charleston Police CNA race bias audit were released last week. The preliminary report consists of some 135 pages that include five sections: Traffic Stops and Field Contacts; Use of force; Complaints; Community Oriented Policing Practices; Recruitment, Hiring, Promotions and Personnel Practices; and Appendixes. Here are some highlights from…
Read MoreThe International African American Museum Honors and Celebrates Community Partners
By Barney Blakeney As the International African American Museum moves closer to becoming a reality, its officials want to recognize and celebrate the community partners who are committed to making it more than a collection of artifacts. Last month, the staff recognized Rev. Dr. Isaac Holt and the congregation of Royal Missionary Baptist Church in…
Read MoreSCPA Success Means Success For The Local Workforce, Says Riley
By Barney Blakeney As the local International Longshoremen’s Association union affiliate writhes with internal struggles, its leadership says continued growth will ease some of those pains. In July, the S.C. Port Authority reported a nine percent increase in the volume of cargo handled over that of the 2018 fiscal year. The Port handled 18,307 vehicles…
Read MoreCharleston Set To Receive October Police Race Bias Audit Report
By Barney Blakeney September 18 and 19 CNA Analysis Solutions returned to Charleston to present draft findings of its racial bias audit of Charleston Police Department’s policies and practices for community review. In 2017 the city hired CNA Analysis Solutions to conduct a race bias audit of its police department. Since February CNA has conducted the…
Read MoreVolunteers Helping To Make A Difference At North Charleston High
By Barney Blakeney Bernard Chisolm and Kevin Williams are among more than a dozen volunteers at North Charleston High School who applaud Principal Henry Darby for incorporating some positive enhancements that appear to push forward progress at the school. Darby has been principal at North Charleston High since 2017. Under Darby’s administration,the school’s graduation rate…
Read MoreThe Great Otto B. German
By John Smalls Someone said that all good things would soon come to an end. Otto B. German can attest to those words. The summer of 2019 saw his retirement after 46 years of service at the College of Charleston. The Otto B. German story goes back a long way. Otto came out of a…
Read MoreSeekings Says He Brings Ability and Experience as Charleston’s Next Mayor
By Barney Blakeney Charleston City Councilman Mike Seekings wants to be a part of Charleston’s development into what it will become in the future. A lot of what the city does will impact that future. That’s why he’s served on the council 10 years and now wants to become mayor. It’s a role he takes…
Read MoreLocal Minorities Fared Well During Hurricane Dorian – Not So In The Bahamas
By Barney Blakeney One former Charlestonian now living in New York City, N.Y. called to check on friends and family after Hurricane Dorian struck the area. In the past minority communities were the last served by restoration efforts. That would be unlikely today since gentrification has transformed much of the Charleston region, he speculated. Local…
Read More16 Years In The Making, SCSU Charleston Research Center To Become A Reality
By Barney Blakeney Some 16 years after first being proposed groundbreaking the construction of South Carolina State University’s new 1890 Research and Extension building in Charleston was held August 28 at 35 Lee St. The two-story approximately 13,000 square foot building will provide programmatic and administrative space for comprehensive and structured research-based programs designed to…
Read MoreGadsden Creek Infill Represents More Than Just Another ‘Crick’
By Barney Blakeney Proponents for the infill of Gadsden Creek which runs from Hagood Avenue to the Ashley River on the west side of the Charleston peninsula say that not only would facilitate the $20 million 20-year WestEdge development project, but also would protect the remnants of the decades-old Black community contemporarily known as ‘Back…
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