Enjoy Brunch, Honor Dr. King

My twin brother and I are co-hosting a brunch this Sunday, January 18, in Charlotte in honor of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event begins at noon and takes place at Sydney's Martini and Wine Bar in Uptown. We're looking forward to presenting a culturally and socially enriching afternoon, which will include a live band and MLK-themed performances. Admission is free, but RSVP is required at mlk.hollidaysocial.com; the cost of the brunch buffet is $15.

Credit: The King Center

I hope you will join us on Sunday!

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CIAA Tournament Will Stay In Charlotte for Six More Years Beginning 2015, Conference Headquarters Will Also Relocate Here

For the foreseeable future, Charlotte will continue to be home to the annual CIAA Tournament. Below is the excerpt of a press release I received via email at 3:10 p.m. today, corresponding with the 3 p.m. CIAA press conference held at Charlotte Convention Center.

CIAA and Charlotte stakeholders rejoice during today's announcement.
Photo by Jon Strayhorn/Media Arts Collective

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (March 3, 2014) – The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the City of Charlotte have agreed to exclusively negotiate a broadened partnership to include the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. The decision comes on the heels of the 69th Annual Men’s Tournament and 40th Annual Women’s Tournament, which was held Feb. 25 – March 1, 2014 and was the ninth subsequent year the event has been held in the Queen City.

The new agreement would commit the tournaments to be held in Charlotte for at least the next six years beginning in 2015. In turn, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) will provide various benefits, including $1.4 million in funding annually, proceeds from which will be distributed among the 12 conference colleges and universities. In addition, the CIAA will move its conference headquarters to Charlotte in the near future, with specific timing and location to be determined. The relocation will enable the conference, the CRVA and other Charlotte entities to more effectively partner in the community, providing increased visibility for the CIAA and helping to secure enhanced sponsorships benefitting the 12 member-institutions.

“We look forward to forging an even more enhanced, collaborative and positive partnership with the City of Charlotte,” says CIAA Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter. “It’s been a home that has truly embraced the tournament and we look forward to growing the momentum we’ve experienced in these last nine years with renewed vision and energy that will help to shape the next generation of this event.”

Last year, the tournament generated a substantial economic impact for the region with $29.86 million in direct spending and $47.17 million in economic impact. The study was conducted by the CRVA based on widely used best practices from leading economists and the hospitality and tourism industry. A 2014 study will begin soon and will be released upon completion.

“On the heels of such a tremendous tournament, this news couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon. “I still remember helping to recruit this event to the Queen City more than a decade ago as Mayor Pro Tem so being able to keep it here for six more years is a testament to the depth of our relationship with the CIAA. This economic generator, that attracts tens of thousands of visitors here and infuses millions of dollars into our local economy, will pay dividends for years to come.”

Touted as the third most attended basketball tournament among all NCAA divisions, the CIAA Tournament has become an integral event that the Charlotte community rallies around year after year. Most importantly, it has fostered an important legacy for the future through the funding it has provided in scholarships for the 12 member institutions, enabling students to attend CIAA schools. CIAA has consistently ranked as one of Charlotte’s largest events, only second behind the 2012 Democratic National Convention to date.

Well, this puts an end to the rampant speculation and curiosity as to where the 2015 CIAA Tournament (and the hundreds of parties that surround it) will be held (sorry, Atlanta). You can relive my coverage of 2014 CIAA Week by visiting CharlotteMagazine.com/CIAA.

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Like We Always Do At This Time... Your Guide to 2014 CIAA Week In Charlotte

For the fifth consecutive year, I've provided comprehensive coverage of CIAA Week for CharlotteMagazine.com. Each year the parties lists get bigger, and so do the names of the celebrities who are coming to Charlotte to host them. You've likely already been checking out the content over the last few weeks--we began publishing the events lists at the end of January and have been updating them with additional events each week (shout out to Google for driving the traffic).

And today, CIAA Week 2014 officially began.

One thing I take pride in is showcasing the whole story of what CIAA Week is. Yes, for many of you it's about coming to Charlotte for a few days and partying your arse off. But there are also 12 men's and 12 women's teams from HBCUs competing for the CIAA basketball championship at Time Warner Cable Arena, and for many of those young people this is the highlight of their lives thus far. And for a lot of alumni from CIAA schools, this week is about reuniting with their former classmates and with their fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters. Some of them are the second or third generation in their family to attend a CIAA school.

So when you visit CharlotteMagazine.com/CIAA, in addition to perusing the parties lists, take a few minutes to also read the articles about the reunion aspect of CIAA, and about how Miss CIAA 2004 is now a U.S. diplomat. A lot of African-American traditions haven't survived throughout our country's history. CIAA is one of them. Make sure you appreciate it.

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Deltas Legacy Film Showcase, Pride Awards, Special Museum Events Take Place this MLK Weekend

As the nation honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., here are a couple of annual Charlotte cultural events that celebrate African-American achievement.

11th Annual Legacy of Black Women Short Film Showcase
Friday, January 17, 6:30 p.m. | McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St.
The Deltas of Charlotte Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the Charlotte Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., presents this annual showcase of films written, directed, and featuring African-Americans. This year's event is themed "As the QC Turns" and will begin with a light reception at 6:30 p.m., followed by the films starting at 7:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit DST's scholarships. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at the door or online at carolinatix.org.

2014 Lowe's Pride Awards
Saturday, January 18, 6 p.m. | The Westin Charlotte, 601 S. College St.
Pride Magazine presents its 21st annual awards gala. This year's black-tie event, themed "Changing the Game with Business Diversity," will honor an outstanding minority-owned business, a youth entrepreneur, and an organization for its business diversity best practices. Pride has collaborated with the Charlotte Knights for the event--hence the baseball theme. And Queen City Forward, an innovative hub for social entrepreneurs, is the nonprofit beneficiary of the evening. The event will begin with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and awards beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $212.50, and can be purchased by calling 704-375-955. Visit prideawards.net for more details.

Credit: prideawards.net

And on MLK Day itself, two of Uptown Charlotte's leading museums are holding special events in honor of Dr. King.

MLK Day 2014 - The Legacy is the Blueprint
Monday, January 20, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, 551 S. Tryon St., ganttcenter.org
Activities include: the museum's galleries, an interactive exchange with The Possibility Project, mentoring fair, Buttons & Protest Signs: A Drop-In Crafts Workshop, a film screening of The Fade & Discussion, panel discussions, performances, and more. Free and open to the public with suggested $5 donation. Click here for the complete schedule.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration 2014
Monday, January 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., museumofthenewsouth.org
Activities include: the museum's galleries, film screenings of The Children's March, Viva La Causa, and Freedom Riders; Sunprint workshops, story time sessions; drumming, dance, and musical performances, and more. Free admission. Click here for the complete schedule, and Levine Museum will also hold MLK activities on Sunday afternoon.

Credit: facebook.com/LevineMuseum

By the way, if you're looking for parties and social events during this holiday weekend, just check my Dusk Till Dawn blog.

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Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia Among All-Star Lineup on 'The Best Man Holiday' Soundtrack

Fourteen years after The Best Man arrived at movie theaters and subsequently became a cult classic on DVD and replays on cable, particularly in many African-American households, the sequel, The Best Man Holiday, is finally on its way. When it hits theaters nationwide on November 15, you'll see the ensemble cast making their return: Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Nia Long, Morris Chestnut, Monica Calhoun, Harold Perrineau, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, and Melissa De Sousa. And whereas the movie features a who's-who list of actors and actresses, the soundtrack has top billing from R&B stars.

The Best Man Holiday – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack will be released ahead of the film, hitting stores and online outlets (like Amazon) on October 29, via RCA Records. Two singers who call Charlotte home--Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia Barrino--are among the All-Star R&B lineup, which also includes: R. Kelly, Monica, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Jordin Sparks, Ne-Yo, and more. The soundtrack is a combination of newly written material as well as classics being covered by the artists. And since this is a holiday movie, most of the songs have Christmas themes.

The track list:

01) Christmastime To Me, by Jordin Sparks
02) Someday at Christmas, by Mario
03) What Christmas Means To Me, by Fantasia
04) I Still Have You, by Charlie Wilson
05) Christmas, I’ll Be Steppin’, by R. Kelly
06) This Christmas, by Mary J. Blige
07) Shelter, by John Legend
08) Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, by Monica
09) Winter Wonderland, by Emeli Sandé
10) Can You Stand The Rain, by New Edition
11) I Want To Come Home for Christmas, by Ne-Yo
12) O Holy Night, by Jayda Brown and Jasmine Watkins
13) As, by Marsha Ambrosius and Anthony Hamilton

The first song to be released from the soundtrack is "I Still Have You," by Charlie Wilson.

Get everything you need to know about The Best Man Holiday by visiting www.best-man.com.

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You Should Know: 'Destination Freedom' at Levine Museum of the New South

Levine Museum of the New South recently opened a new series titled, Destination Freedom: Civil Rights Struggles Then and Now, that will feature several different exhibits and programs over the next two years. The first three exhibits are on display now, and I had the opportunity to check them out a few weeks ago during a members' preview. The museum is holding an official kickoff event this Sunday, September 15 that you should check out. And even if you can't make it out that day, you'll want to make plans to visit the museum in coming months.

Destination Freedom is Levine Museum's commemoration of several important milestones in the Civil Rights Movement that are each approaching 50th anniversaries between 2013 and 2015: The March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech (August 28, 1963); the bombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and murder of four young girls in Birmingham (September 15, 1963); the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which ended segregation in public places (July 2, 1964); and the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (August 6, 1965). Those historical moments alone signify the importance of the exhibits, but as Levine Museum so greatly does with many of its exhibits over the years, it's presenting them in though-provoking ways along with scheduled events, corresponding programs, and dialogue sessions.

This Sunday is the Destination Freedom Kickoff, an event that's free and open to the public, beginning at 3 p.m. There'll be a panel discussion featuring David Forbes, SNCC member, Raleigh Hall of Fame inductee; Juan Carlos-Ramos, United for the Dream; Dorothy Counts-Scoggins, 1957 desegregation of Harding High School; Tiffany Flowers, director at KIPP Charlotte; and Joshua Burford, LGBT historian researcher, UNCC Multicultural Affairs; and will be moderated by Irving Joyner, NCCU legal scholar and Legal Eagle Review co-host. After the panel discussion, you'll get to enjoy a reception with entertainment by Latanya Johnson and the Sycamore Project, and tour the new exhibits.

Then at 6 p.m., at First United Presbyterian Church, which is directly across the street, the museum is presenting a keynote address by Diane Nash. Nash is a Civil Rights activist and co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (I learned a lot about SNCC during my Afro-American Studies classes in college), and she'll reflect on 1963 and the lessons for today.

Sunday's activities are free, but reservations are requested at 704-333-1887 ext. 501 or rsvp@museumofthenewsouth.org.

If you can't attend on Sunday, you should make a point to visit the Destination Freedom exhibits soon. Whenever I experience these kinds of things, they always remind me how important history is to what we encounter today. These exhibits, in particular, will show you how much progress in racial equality this country has made over the last 50 years. And while it would be natural to focus on the work that still needs to be done or to complain about things that still aren't fair, I'm inspired by the incredible hurdles and hardships that people before me overcame--it took people of all walks of life to work together--which makes many of the problems we face as a society today seem petty and disrespectful to the path that's been laid before us.

I was also inspired from talking to a teenager at the preview event a few weeks ago. She's a high school senior who participated in "A Ride for Understanding," the four-day, four-city Civil Rights bus tour across the Southeast that Levine Museum took 15 students on over the summer. Part of their experience is documented in the View from the Other Side exhibit that's featured in Destination Freedom. I was inspired by my conversation with the young lady because she, who's white, took an interest in a part of history that's far too often described as "Black History" when it is more American history than just about anything else. Plus, she reminds us that kids today don't harbor the same feelings about race that their parents and grandparents might. They're growing up having friends of all colors, listening to the same music, and sharing similar experiences. So they shouldn't be saddled with views that have been skewed by things they'll never have to experience. These exhibits help them realize how fortunate they are, but also why justice and equality are things that have to be tended to in order to be ensured and preserved.

The exhibits currently on display in Destination Freedom: Civil Rights Struggles Then and Now:

Network of Mutuality: 50 Years Post-Birmingham
(on display until December 1, 2013)
Synopsis: Featuring provocative works by leading contemporary artists and designers, who carefully examine the various social conditions and components that energized the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as well as continue the dialogue of race and equality in today's society.

Focus On Justice
(on display until January 26, 2014)
Synopsis: Curated by photographer Byron Baldwin, the exhibit includes photographs documenting the regional Civil Rights Movement as seen through the eyes of Carolina photographers Don Sturkey, Bruce Roberts, James Peeler, Cecil Williams, and others.

View from the Other Side
(on display until February 2, 2014)
Synopsis: Artists and students present works informed and inspired by issues of civil and human rights. Featuring pieces from local artists TJ Reddy, Rosalia Torres-Weiner, Mikale Kwiatkowski, and Antoine Williams, along with pieces from Performance Learning Center and History Active students.

Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., 704-333-1887, museumofthenewsouth.org, facebook.com/LevineMuseum, Twitter @LevineMuseum.

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'From Sit-ins to Eat-ins,' Multiple Events Commemorate 50th Anniversary of Desegregation in Charlotte

May is a significant month in Charlotte's history, and over the next two weeks there's a coordinated effort to recognize a brave step the city and its residents took 50 years ago. "From Sit-ins to Eat-ins" celebrates the desegregation of Charlotte that occurred in May 1963. It's great to see that several organizations are coming together to present these events. I hope it serves as a reminder to us that 50 years isn't all that long ago, and if people from different walks of life could work together decades ago on something as serious and monumental as desegregation, most of our issues today aren't as difficult as we make them out to be.

Below are details from the press release, including the list of community events (admission is free, except where noted).

Charlotte made national headlines in May 1963 when Chamber of Commerce members led by Mayor Stan Brookshire voluntarily joined with African American leaders to go two-by-two and desegregate Charlotte’s leading restaurants. This “eat-in” came three years after the sit-in movement had opened lunch counters.

Charlotte Civil Rights activist Dr. Reginald Hawkins triggered the action, leading a march on May 20, 1963 from Johnson C. Smith University to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse and declaring “We shall not be pacified with gradualism; we shall not be satisfied with tokenism.  We want freedom and we want it now.” His call echoed a spirit of revolution dating to the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence demanding freedom from England, which tradition holds was signed on May 20, 1775, a year before the 1776 US Declaration of Independence.

The successful desegregation on May 29-31, 1963 – a year before the 1964 U.S. Civil Rights act required desegregation of “public accommodations” – pushed Charlotte into the national spotlight. The city’s progressive action contrasted sharply with the massive resistance then going on in places such as Birmingham, where police chief Bull Connor turned fire hoses and police dogs on young Civil Rights protesters that same month. It was a key turning point in Charlotte’s emergence as a major Southern city.

Organizers of this two-week celebration include: Levine Museum of the New South, Mecklenburg Ministries, The May 20th Society, Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Relations, and Mert's Heart & Soul, with assistance from Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte Chamber, Queens University, Johnson C. Smith University, and the Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library.

Sunday, May 19

From Sit-ins to Eat-ins: History Makers Panel Discussion
Several participants from the 1963 desegregation march in Charlotte will be a part of this panel discussion, including the son of Charlotte activist Dr. Reginald Hawkins, who marched beside his father in 1963; Jack Claiborne, who is a long-time reporter for The Charlotte Observer and covered the Civil Rights movement locally; Evan Faulkenbury, who has studied Dr. Hawkins’ life; and Patricia A. Albritton, board chair of Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Relations Office. 2:30 p.m. First United Presbyterian Church, 406 N. College St.

Monday, May 20

March from Johnson C. Smith University to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse
Scheduled speakers include Malcolm Graham, attorney Charles Jones, James Ferguson, Dr. Reginald Hawkins, Abdullah Salim Jr., and Mayor Anthony Foxx. 10:30 a.m. Johnson C. Smith University, 100 Beatties Ford Rd.

Annual Noon Commemoration of Mecklenburg Declaration
Event will include cannons, a reading of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, and a celebration of Mecklenburg County’s 250th anniversary. 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Square, corner of Trade and Tryon streets in Uptown.

The May 20th Society 8th Annual Speaker Series featuring Isabel Wilkerson
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Warmth of Other Suns will connect her research on 20th century African American history with the Charlotte 1963 history. 7:30 p.m. $12. McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, 345 N. College St., blumenthalarts.org.

Wednesday and Thursday, May 29 and 30

“From Sit-ins to Eat-ins” Event
To mark the city's historic desegregation, some of today’s civic leaders will kick off two days in which Charlotteans are urged to invite someone of a different race to lunch. Throughout Charlotte.

Thursday, May 30

“From Sit-ins to Eat-ins” Community Festival
Music and munchies set the mood in 1963. Participants in the 2013 eat-in reflect on history, share what they’ve learned, and suggest hopes for future. Hosted by Mecklenburg Ministries’ “Friday Friends.” 5:30-7 p.m. Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St., museumofthenewsouth.org.

You can also find details at www.may20thsociety.org and www.meckdec.org.

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Black History Tribute: Dr. Ronald Carter

This is the final installment in my week-long tribute to Black History Month, where I've spotlighted Charlotte-area people and organizations that are making black history.

One of the things I enjoy most about my work as a journalist is the remarkable people I often meet when I'm working on stories. Last September, I spent a great deal of time with Dr. Ronald L. Carter, president of Johnson C. Smith University. I attended at least a half-dozen of his meetings and events where he spoke, as I gathered material for the article I was writing for Charlotte magazine. Months after the article came out ("Answering the Call," November 2010 issue), I'm seeing some of the things Dr. Carter was working on come to fruition.

Dr. Carter speaking at a recent event at JCSU. Photo by Jon Strayhorn/Media Arts Collective.

In his third year at the helm of JCSU, he's passionate about helping the historically black university connect more to the city--culturally and physically. He's launched several community-based programs that he feels will expose students to great opportunities and teach them to be civic-minded. He chairs the Charlotte Streetcar Advisory Committee, not the type of committee many university presidents would roll up their sleeves for, but he wants to ensure that his university and its Beatties Ford Road community are represented in the city's transit plans. One of those plans is Charlotte's proposed streetcar. The line would run a total of 10 miles along Beatties Ford Road near I-85 through Center City along Trade Street, traveling up Elizabeth Avenue by Central Piedmont Community College, and out to Central Avenue at Eastland Mall. Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) got a huge push in the right direction when it received a $25 million federal grant for the project last summer, but the costly streetcar still faces many economic challenges.

Dr. Carter was able to celebrate a smaller, but very important, victory two weeks ago, however. The Gold Rush, CATS' free Uptown bus service (the trolley on wheels that a lot of city and bank employees use), began its extended red line stops at JCSU on the west and Central Piedmont Community College to the east. The extension is made possible by a financial partnership between CATS, Charlotte Center City Partners, JCSU, and CPCC. Now JCSU students are able to travel to Uptown more conveniently to get to restaurants, meetings, cultural events, jobs/internships, and to catch buses and the light rail, all without using a car. Not to mention the potential for Uptown leaders--from city councilmen to business executives--to take the Gold Rush to JCSU's campus, where Dr. Carter has made the traditionally closed campus more open to building community and business relationships.

Another important initiative by the prez began in September. I attended a press conference then, in which he announced the university would be funding a community survey called Soul of the Northwest Corridor. Dr. Carter was inspired to have the study conducted after seeing the results of the Knight Foundation's Soul of the Community Project, which is a new community model that provides guidance for community and local government leaders seeking to create long-term, positive change within their cities. JCSU wanted to dig deeper and zero in on its neighborhood specifically. So it partnered with the Knight Foundation and hired Gallup to conduct the survey, which is said to be the first in the nation to be conducted at the neighborhood or community level.

Yesterday, JCSU released the results of the Soul of the Northwest Corridor Survey, in which 1,000 residents of neighborhoods along Beatties Ford Road were polled. It's a lot of data that can be particularly useful for a segment of the population that's not traditionally studied in such ways (click here to read it). I'm reminded of something Dr. Carter said a few months ago at an event in which he spoke in front of an audience of mostly African-American businessmen: "We cannot continue to say there is a problem and not define the problem." That's where Dr. Carter's going to make the most impact in the community. He's leading efforts to define the problems many African-Americans have complained about for years. And once they've been defined, real solutions can be sought.

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Black History Tribute: Max Siegel

Each day this week, I'm spotlighting a Charlotte-area person or organization that is making black history.

I got to know Max Siegel in 2008 while writing a story about him for Charlotte magazine. At the time, he was president of Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), the famed NASCAR franchise founded by the racing legend it's named after. Max allowed me to follow him around his office and the race shop as well as sit in on meetings. After this close interaction over a couple of days, I walked away impressed--just as most people are--by the man who has for much of his career been a pioneer.

Today, Max runs The 909 Group, a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle marketing firm he founded, and through it he oversees several ventures. He spent most of his career as an executive and attorney in the entertainment industry, but once he ventured into NASCAR a few years ago, he's seized the opportunity to bring his experience with leading successful brands to help NASCAR's ongoing effort to improve diversity in the sport. Max oversees NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program, which works to develop minority and female drivers and crew members. He's also CEO of his own race team, Revolution Racing.

Max has helped make NASCAR's diversity efforts more visible. The reality show he created, Changing Lanes, aired last fall on BET, showcasing minority and female drivers competing for a spot on his race team. A great deal of the footage in the eight one-hour episodes was shot in Charlotte and Concord.

The 2011 Revolution Racing team, which competes in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

More recently, Max partnered with NASCAR Media Group and ESPN Films to produce Wendell Scott: A Race Story, which premiered on ESPN last Sunday right after the Daytona 500. The documentary tells the story of Scott, who remains to this day the only black driver to have won a race in NASCAR's top series (today known as the Sprint Cup), which he won in 1963. A Race Story combines historical footage with re-creations and interviews from members of Scott's family and racing legends. NASCAR Hall of Fame is showing the film Saturday, March 5 at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

You can learn more about Max Siegel, his accomplishments, and business ventures by visiting www.maxsiegel.com.

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Black History Tribute: 'RACE' and 'COURAGE' Exhibits

Each day this week, I'm spotlighting a Charlotte-area person or organization that is making black history.

There are two extremely important and culturally relevant exhibits on display at Charlotte museums: RACE: Are We So Different? at Discovery Place and COURAGE: The Carolina Story That Changed America at Levine Museum of the New South. Each of these exhibits gives context and insight into what we think we know, and if you visit them you should walk away with a level of understanding that could shape how you view issues we're currently facing in society.

RACE is a project of American Anthropological Association and is on display at Discovery Place until May 8. The traveling exhibit offers visitors an opportunity to explore the science of human variation, the history of the idea of race, and the contemporary experience of race and racism in the U.S. According to the exhibit and contrary to what we're accustomed to, science has shown that humankind cannot be divided into races or categories. Genetically, humans fall on a continuum--short to tall, thin to fat, pale to dark--and there are no clear places to divide people into groups.

RACE is explored through interactive activities, multimedia presentations, contemporary and historical photography, unique artifacts, and thought-provoking questions. There are more than 30 exhibits and activities in the 5,000-square-foot exhibition. Highlights of the experience include:

• The Colors We Are: Visitors scan their skin and watch the image appear on the screen next to dozens of other visitors. Then, participants are challenged to consider whether skin shade equals race.
• Who’s Talking: Visitors are invited to match voices they hear with people in photos based on speech patterns and inflection. The results are surprising.
• The Hapa Project: Through photographs and words of people who consider themselves to be multiracial. Museum-goers experience issues of race and racial categories.
• Creating Race: Tells the story of how the idea of race was created in the 17th and 18th centuries in response to political, economic and social forces.

For more details on RACE: Are We So Different?, visit www.discoveryplace.org.

Next, we go from race to education--actually to an exhibit that's primarily about race and education. COURAGE is on display at Levine Museum through January 2012. The exhibit tells the story of the Rev. J.A. De Laine and other brave citizens of Clarendon County, S.C., who brought the first lawsuit in America challenging racial segregation in public schools. Combined with four other national lawsuits, the result was the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which ruled that racial segregation of schools was unconstitutional.

COURAGE is comprised of personal histories, photographs, artifacts, and interactive components, including one that shows you how far some black children in Clarendon County had to walk to school when the local school district wouldn't provide buses for them (nine miles, which is the equivalent of walking from Uptown Charlotte to Carowinds).

Even though the exhibit chronicles a period in our history that those of us who were born after can't even fathom how segregation could've existed for so long, it should help us put our current challenges into perspective. Nearly 60 years later, we still aren't providing equal education to all children in this country, because that essentially is what the Rev. J.A. De Laine and members of his community wanted for their children--and was one of the primary issues during the Civil Rights Movement.

It's also inspiring to know how the De Laine children went on to become college educated and have successful careers, despite all of the hurdles they faced. The Rev. De Laine’s daughter Ophelia is a retired college professor living in New Jersey; son B.B. is a retired educator; and son Joe is a retired chemist. B.B. and Joe live here in Charlotte.

For more details on COURAGE: The Carolina Story That Changed America, visit www.museumofthenewsouth.org.

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Black History Tribute: Queen City Tours

Each day this week, I'm spotlighting a Charlotte-area person or organization that is making black history.

When you think of touring a city, you might view this as something for out-of-towners. But for cities like Charlotte in which there are so many transplants, many of us could benefit from a guided tour of this city we call home. Since 1993, Queen City Tours has been leading groups on journeys through Charlotte's rich history. The company offers a variety of tours ranging from its traditional daily city tour, a NASCAR tour, and ghost tour to its cutting-edge Segway tour, where you cruise the city on the two-wheeled vehicles. And one of the most popular among the tours offered is the Charlotte Black/African-American Heritage Tour.

A group reads an historical marker during one of the Pilgrimage tour stops.

On the African-American Heritage Tour, guests are taken on a two-hour-plus tour that includes more than 75 sites that are significant to black history. Those include touring three historic black neighborhoods (Washington Heights, McCrorey Heights, and Biddleville), Johnson C. Smith University, the old Good Samaritan Hospital, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue, The Excelsior Club, and more. This tour is offered daily.

And each February, Queen City Tours presents its annual Pilgrimage, which it's been holding for the last 13 years. Each Saturday during Black History Month, the company leads groups on a special tour through Charlotte and Huntersville, highlighted by visits to former slave churches and cemeteries. The final edition for this year's Pilgrimage is this Saturday, February 26, offered at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

For more details on these great tour opportunities, visit queencitytours.com.

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Black History Tribute: Pride Entrepreneur Education Program

Each day this week, I'm spotlighting a Charlotte-area person or organization that is making black history.

The Pride Entrepreneur Education Program (PEEP) has been helping prepare African-American youth in Charlotte to become future leaders since it was founded in 2007 by Dee Dixon, owner of Pride Communications. The nonprofit organization has a Career Mentoring Program, in which it pairs high school students with mentors who are successful in the career fields they're interested in. Mentors serve as career advisors for six to 12 months. PEEP also offers a scholarship program, and for the 2010-11 school year it awarded full scholarships to two students to attend Central Piedmont Community College, and it awarded $2,500 scholarships to seven students who are attending various four-year universities.

Last Thursday, I had the privilege of attending the annual PEEP Luncheon the organization held at The Blake Hotel. I was invited to be one of the professionals who would attend and be seated at a table with high school students. I'm so happy I accepted the invitation. The organizers viewed it as us professionals "donating our time" to attend the two-hour program, but I feel that the experience was just as rewarding for me as it was for the students.

Attendees at the 2011 PEEP Luncheon.

There were about 300 Charlotte-Mecklenburg High School students and about 75 or more professionals in attendance, spread across dozens of banquet tables. Seated at my table were five students from Olympic High School and two other professionals--Damian Johnson, co-owner of the No Grease barbershop franchise, and Ashley Jeffers, who works for Vanguard, an investment management company. While we ate a delicious lunch, we had the chance to converse with the students. They asked great questions about our career fields and I was just as interested in learning more about each of them, whom were all seniors.

There was also a four-person panel who spoke to the audience about finding success and achieving goals. Three of the panelists were business owners and the fourth was an executive at Walmart. Each of them shared stories of how they worked hard to get where they are, and also how they took advantage of opportunities that came their way. The students were able to ask the panel questions as well.

This event and the other programs PEEP offers is an important community service and is helping our most valuable asset: our youth. To learn more about PEEP, whether it's to sign up to be a mentor, make a financial contribution, or inquire about a scholarship, visit www.peepcharlotte.org.

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Paying Tribute to Charlotte's Black History

There's one week left in Black History Month. Have you done anything in recognition of it? Like many people, I believe African-American history is American history, so February is just an opportunity to pay tribute to people and moments that don't often get the recognition they deserve. For the next five days, Monday through Friday, I'm going to blog about a local person or organization that is making a significant contribution to Black History.

This isn't something I initially was planning to do, but over the past couple of weeks I've had the privilege to come in contact with and/or learn about some great local efforts that are trying to help move black people forward. As a black person, I'll be one of the first to say that my race is falling behind greatly in areas of education, employment, health, and other social aspects--and I'm not one of those who blames the "man". So I applaud the people who are working toward change rather than complaining, and who are uniting rather than dividing. I'll be spotlighting them here on GrownPeopleTalking.com so be sure to check back each day this week.

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