Charleston Chronicle Exclusives
Eastside Residents Want Answers About May 31 Police Assault
By Barney Blakeney The Eastside CDC, ACLU and Lowcountry Black Leadership Coalition have joined forces to challenge a May 31 massive police presence that surged through the Charleston Eastside community following protests that began at Marion Square. According to former Eastside Charleston City Councilman Kwadjo Campbell, a wave of policemen in riot gear and including…
Read MoreDeon Tedder Trained For Service In House Dist. 109
By Barney Blakeney Deon Tedder is the only attorney among the candidates seeking election to the S.C. House Dist. 109 seat. At age 30, he also is the only candidate for the seat who, in addition to his youthful energy, brings legislative experience to the race. Though he was born in Durham, North Carolina, Tedder…
Read MoreYouth Have The Energy And Smarts To Sustain Protests, Says Dixon
By Barney Blakeney For more than a week, the Charleston metropolitan area has seen almost daily protests spurred by the May 25 wanton police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. From Mount Pleasant to Walterboro thousands of youthful protesters have staged continuous marches and rallies. Will they continue? Local community activist Pastor Thomas Dixon…
Read MorePrimary Elections Produce Few Surprises
By Barney Blakeney The June 9 Primary elections produced few surprises. By early evening after the polls closed 7 p.m., it already had become apparent several expected leaders would come through victorious. In the U.S. Senate contest incumbent Lindsey Graham held on to an early lead that made it obvious an hour after results were…
Read MoreMay 30 Riots Among Charleston’s Most Destructive – Future Riots Are Preventable, Says National Action Network’s Nelson Rivers
By Barney Blakeney Saturday, May 30 heralded perhaps the most destructive rioting in Charleston history since the deadly downtown riot of 1934. Throngs of protesters raged onto downtown Charleston streets after hundreds of protesters responding to the May 25 police murder of George Floyd conducted an early afternoon peaceful assembly originating at Marion Square. By…
Read MoreGilliard Will Use Fifth Term to Continue Work Already Started
By Barney Blakeney After serving four terms in the office, Charleston House Dist. 111 Rep. Wendell Gilliard is seeking a fifth term to continue the work he has engaged addressing Affordable Housing; Criminal Justice Reform; Economic Justice and Opportunity for Women; Education; Healthcare; and Homelessness. He is a candidate for election…
Read MoreShoe Repair Shop Owner Calm After Calamity Caused By Rambunctious Rioters
By Barney Blakeney In business nearly 50 years and located at 536 King St. most of those years, Reeves and Son Shoe Repair operated by Mrs. Doris Dixon never experienced the vandalism her business suffered after the May 30 riot in downtown Charleston. Broken glass surrounding an overturned flower pot littered the front of the…
Read MoreThe Enigmatic Joseph Floyd Manor, Home To Plagues and Plays
By Barney Blakeney Local elected officials in the past two weeks again have addressed ongoing issues about living conditions at Charleston County’s only rental apartment complex, Joseph Floyd Manor. Residents for years have complained that the building was poorly maintained and issues of pest infestations and illegal activities prevailed. Joseph Floyd Manor is a retirement home in the…
Read MoreWilder Brings Lessons of Self-Reliance, Ability, Honesty and Integrity to Dist. 109 House Race
By Barney Blakeney When you meet, Jeff Wilder his energy, ability and confidence are immediately apparent. They are characteristics he’s developed over a lifetime confronting issues head on – characteristics that have served him well as a husband, father, businessman and public servant. And they are characteristics that will serve S.C. House District 109 well…
Read MoreRep. Moore: “We Are In The Valley”
By SC House District 15 Rep. JA Moore The recent murders of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmad Aubrey in Georgia, and George Floyd in Minneapolis bring back the trauma of Walter Scott being murdered right here in North Charleston. Unequivocally, these events have shaken our community to its core. I still carry the pain of…
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