Displaying items by tag: minorities

CARTHAGE — Small, women-owned and disadvantaged business owners wanting to learn how to compete for state transportation contracts are invited to attend a free workshop Feb. 19 in Moore County.

RALEIGH — The rate of COVID-19 infections is once again disproportionately impacting Black and Hispanic North Carolinians. Since Dec. 26, the rate of infections was twice as high among the Black population as compared to the white population and as much as 57% higher among the Hispanic population as compared to the non-Hispanic population, according to an analysis of positive cases reported to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

A few weeks ago, the Associated Press and a nonprofit journalism outfit called The Markup released a dataset and news stories purporting to prove the existence of pervasive discrimination against racial minorities by mortgage lenders. The McClatchy newspapers in North Carolina (The Charlotte Observer, The News & Observer in Raleigh, and the Herald-Sun in Durham) splashed the Markup/AP findings across their front pages and contributed additional reporting about the North Carolina-specific data.

RALEIGH — Former State Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, a Democrat currently running for U.S. Senate, came under fire this month in the N.C. Court of Appeals. An appellate judge criticized a criminal defendant for pointing to Beasley’s comments about unfair treatment of minorities as a reason for throwing out a conviction on drug charges.

PEMBROKE — UNC Pembroke is pleased to announce its selection to Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity third National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center cohort, to foster high-quality educators within minority serving institutions across the United States. 

RALEIGH — Healthier Together, a public-private partnership between the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and NC Counts Coalition, released the second round of funding of up to $500,000 for community-based organizations to apply for grants to help North Carolina achieve its goal of delivering equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. Grants will range from $10,000–$25,000 each (or up to $60,000 for collaborative proposals).

State senators took a small, but positive step last week when they advanced Senate Bill 711 — a proposal to legalize medical cannabis/marijuana. As numerous witnesses —including military veterans struggling with PTSD and other service-related illnesses, as well as others battling the ravages of cancer and chemotherapy —made clear in often emotional testimony during a pair of public hearings, it’s absurd that suffering North Carolinians are denied an effective therapy that’s legal in the overwhelming majority of states.

Here are three true statements, as best I can determine. First, Americans of all backgrounds have experienced gigantic declines in poverty over the past two generations. Second, most diversity training is worse than a waste of time. Third, police officers are no more likely to kill minorities than they are to kill whites during traffic stops or arrests.

Most people reflexively believe the federal government protects the interests of minorities. After all, the feds gave us the Civil Rights Acts and ended segregation — so the narrative goes. But in truth, the federal government has a pretty abysmal record when it comes to its treatment of minority communities and has often implemented policies extremely detrimental to their interests. In general, centralized authority has historically brutalized minority populations, and this includes the U.S. federal government.