You Should Know: 'Coal Ash Chronicles' -- Help Fund the Documentary

I didn't know what coal ash was until I met Rhiannon Fionn a few years ago. That's part of the problem, and she's part of the solution. Rhiannon, or Rhi as many call her, is an independent journalist who lived in Charlotte for several years before relocating to Seattle, and who has spent years reporting on the environmental issues and health problems being caused by coal ash. Now, she and her team are seeking your help as they raise funds to complete a documentary they've been traveling the country to film as part of their "Coal Ash Chronicles" project.

Coal ash is formed after coal is burned to generate electricity, which is a process done by many utility and energy companies. Coal ash is said to be this country's second-largest, mostly unregulated waste stream, and the materials contain heavy metals and radioactive elements, which often end up in the air, rivers, and lakes.

Credit: Coal Ash Chronicles

Rhi has been writing about this problem and doing investigative reporting on it for years. Locally, you may have seen her stories on coal ash in Creative Loafing, as well as an award-winning article she wrote for Charlotte magazine.

After traveling with a group to Washington D.C. to educate Congressional representatives about coal ash and how it's affecting communities, Rhi created Coal Ash Chronicles. Now, her team, which consists of about 20 contributors and volunteers, including other Charlotte-based journalists, photographers, videographers, and creative types like Desiree Kane and Kevin Beaty, as well as others from around the country.

They've recently launched an Indiegogo campaign, with the goal of raising $50,000 to complete their documentary. Watch the seven-and-a-half-minute video below, which shows people telling compassionate stories of how coal ash has affected their lives.

Rhi has put more than 60,000 miles on her car as she's traveled the country documenting these stories. She's stopping in Charlotte this week to host an event about the documentary (details below).

Support Coal Ash Chronicles

• Fundraising campaign: www.indiegogo.com/projects/coal-ash-chronicles

• Website: CoalAshChronicles.com

• Twitter: @Coal_Ash

• Facebook: CoalAshChronicles

Meet the Coal Ash Chronicles Crew
Thursday, September 26
Come out and meet Rhiannon Fionn and several members of the film crew, and learn more about the documentary and the impact of coal ash. Cupcrazed Cupcake Bar is supplying tasty cupcakes, and there'll be music and a cash bar. 6 p.m. Free. Dilworth Billiards, 300 E. Tremont Ave., dilworthbilliards.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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Will Riding Charlotte's Light Rail Turn You Into an Alcoholic?

I have three meetings today: the first was a lunch meeting in South End, followed by a project meeting in Uptown, and this evening I have another meeting in South End (I'm writing this blog post during my downtime in between). So I figured I'd take the light rail from South End to Uptown and then back again once I'm done for the day and ready to go home. Riding the LYNX Blue Line today gave me the first opportunity to see one of the liquor ads that stirred up much controversy when the plans were announced last year.

If you'll recall, last August, The Charlotte Observer reported that for the first time ever, the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) would begin selling alcohol--beer and liquor--advertising on the sides of city buses and trains to generate much-needed revenue to offset rising operating costs. This infuriated Charlotte City Council, who said they weren't aware of the decision and they expressed concern about children and recovering addicts who would see the ads. By late October, a compromise had been reached to begin selling the alcohol ads. I'm not sure when the first liquor ad appeared on the light rail, but I saw one for the first time this afternoon for Baileys.

Credit: My Windows Phone

"Your Chariot Awaits, Madame," reads the large headline on the Baileys ad that covers the light rail car I boarded. I don't have a problem with it, and, in fact, I feel that the accompanying "Enjoy Baileys Responsibly" tagline could help encourage people to use public transportation rather than driving after leaving bars and nightclubs if they've had too much to drink.

And, this particular ad looks cool. Big-city like, even (and you know how much Charlotte desires to be viewed as a big city). What are your thoughts on the whole alcohol-ads-on-public-transit thing?

By the way, I realize this is the second liquor-related post I've written in as many weeks (here's the other), but there's no cause concern (Mom).

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ABC Stores in N.C. -- The Letter and Spirit of the Law

People have had gripes with their governments since the beginning of civilized societies. But I would think criticism of government is at an all-time high, whether it's people complaining about government on the federal, state, or local level. All we seem to hear is that government is too big, meanwhile things like sequestration are happening and budgets for important programs are getting cut along with jobs. But there's one thing in Charlotte, and in North Carolina as a whole, I don't seem to notice people being too concerned about: the fact that all the liquor stores are government-run.

To be specific, in North Carolina, liquor stores, or retail spirit stores as they're called, are operated by Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) boards in individual counties. So in Charlotte, the liquor stores are ran by the Mecklenburg County ABC Board--there are currently 24 stores throughout the county. If you live here, I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know. Well, you might not know the legalities of it, but you know that any time you want to buy a bottle of liquor from retail--your favorite vodka, tequila, gin, rum, or the like--you have to get it from a store with the big, illuminated ABC Spirits sign.

 Credit: My Windows Phone

This is the first state I've lived in where the liquor stores are government-run, even if it is on the county level, and I've just always thought that was weird. And this is coming from a guy who grew up in South Carolina where we have some of the most archaic laws, commonly referred to as blue laws. But even in the Palmetto State, liquor stores are owned by private business owners, even if there are tough restrictions on what times liquor can be sold.

This evening, I made a quick stop into the ABC store that's only about five minutes from my house. It's one of the newest in the city and is located across the street from a Walmart. Whenever I'm in there (which isn't too often, but hey, what if I go every day--mind your business), I always think about how liquor sales is such big business. And how come the conservatives or, better yet, people like the Tea Partiers, aren't complaining that government is taking away money that should be going to small business owners? Yeah, I know Meck ABC loves to tout how much of its profits go back into the community. But Americans care more about capitalism. Or is it okay for our liquor stores to be socialists?

Fancy display I saw inside the ABC store this evening. Credit: My Windows Phone

The one thing I will say that I'm pleased with that's a direct result of the ABC stores here being run by the government, is that they're some of the cleanest, well-maintained businesses you'll find. And they're usually placed in appropriate locations, oftentimes in or near shopping centers. Basically what I'm saying is we don't have to worry about having filthy, corner liquor stores in the hood.

The ABC boards were established in North Carolina in the 1930s, but in this new era we're living in when government officials can't decide on budgets, and people are saying that government is too big, maybe county governments in North Carolina should have one less thing to be responsible for. And the liquor stores should be returned to the people. Who's going to drink to that?

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Rachel Maddow Protects Inalienable Rights, Begins with Charlotte and North Carolina

Last night on her show, Rachel Maddow did what she often does, which is bring to the forefront some of the important issues being faced in cities and states across the country. With her The Rachel Maddow Show each weeknight on MSNBC, she places those issues on a national stage. Maddow, by all definitions, is a liberal, and as much as I respect her as a journalist and admire her brilliance, I think she confronts and challenges the conservative agenda a little too often. But last night was a just cause. And a few Charlotte news stations got some face time during the opening of a particular segment.

During an eight-and-a-half-minute segment, Maddow staked her claim that inalienable rights should not be subject to vote. She addressed how several states have or are seeking to amend their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage, and there's even one that's seeking to ban abortion and perhaps birth control. The segment opened with North Carolina's plan next year to allow voters to decide if same-sex marriage should be banned, and it began with news clips from local stations.

WCNC's Sonja Gantt is shown saying, "Should gay marriage be banned in North Carolina? It could be up to you." Then it cuts to an anchor at WBTV reiterating the fact the N.C. voters will have the chance to decide if there should be an amendment to the state's constitution. Then it's Ramona Holloway of FOX News Edge who steals the show, when shown asking if North Carolina will become a "same-sexy destination" for newcomers. "That may be the year's nominee for most unexpected moment in a local news lead-in," Maddow says. "All hail WCCB (FOX Charlotte) in Charlotte, North Carolina. You win."

Then Maddow reminds us that gay marriage is already illegal in North Carolina, like it is in 44 other states, but "North Carolina is the only state in the South that hasn't amended its state constitution to ban gay marriage over and above the ban on it in just normal state law." She asserts that such laws and amendments go against what this country was founded on, the Declaration of Independence. "...life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Even if your particular brand of happiness is same-sexy happiness," she says.

Maddow goes on to depict what's underway in Mississippi. That state will allow its people to vote next month on a "Personhood Amendment" to decide if they want to change their definition of a person, which, in effect, would ban abortion and, based on the language of the proposed bill, could possibly include banning the right to use birth control. Language from the bill: "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning or the functional equivalent thereof."

Maddow further exposes the culture in Mississippi, that most of us probably are shocked to believe exists. In 2004, the same-sex marriage ban was passed with an 86 percent vote of yes by Mississippian voters. That's not surprising, considering most states have passed this ban when they've placed it on the ballot, but wow, a whopping 86 percent. I don't know if such a usually divisive issue would get such an almost unanimous response anywhere else.

But there's more. In March of this year, as Maddow shows, Mississippi Republicans were polled as to whether they think interracial marriage should be legal or illegal. Even though this appeared to be an informal poll, I'm not sure why anyone would conduct it. But Mississippians seemed to show their true colors with 46 percent of them saying interracial marriage should be illegal and 14 percent being unsure; 40 percent said it should be legal, which it already is thanks to something a few decades ago known as the Civil Rights Movement. Maddow sums it up: "So if you ask Mississippi Republicans about interracial marriage in 2011, 60 percent of them think interracial marriage should be illegal or they're not sure. ... This is the political environment in which abortion rights are going to be voted on in November in Mississippi."

Watch the video below from Maddow's segment last night. I respect whatever side of the issues people fall on, but I think this shows the biggest problem with some of this states rights stuff. Once and for all, issues like same-sex marriage need to be decided on a federal level. But most members of U.S. Congress and the Obama Administration--like all presidents before him--don't want to touch it. Instead, they're letting states decide individually. It's an embarrassment to the whole notion of a "United States."

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Sorry, But I Don't Want Fido Around My Food

At my last job, there were quite a few dog lovers on staff, and occasionally someone would bring their dog into the office. One day, a coworker popped in on her day off to show off her new puppy and most of the staff, especially the women, were going gaga over it. During this instance, and similar others, it was observed that I didn't rush over to stroke the cuddly pooch's mane. That led to a coworker saying, "Jarvis doesn't like dogs." To which I replied, "I like dogs. I just don't like other people's dogs." The reason I remember vividly what I said is because my response became a running joke whenever the subject of pets would come up in the office.

So now that you know my stance, you should understand why I was bothered by a news article I read a few minutes ago that said "N.C. may allow dining with pets." State food service regulations currently ban pets from being inside restaurants or on outside patios where food is being served. But on Thursday, the N.C. Rules Review Commission will consider a proposal that would permit cats and dogs in outside dining areas. If it's approved, the changes would likely take effect August 1.

Nooooooooooooooooo!

I know the dog and cat lovers are going to hate me for this, but I don't want your pet around me when I'm trying to enjoy my meal. You treat Fido like he's human, but to me he's a dog. Your dog. I'm a fan of the Humane Society, PETA, and I believe that pets should be treated humanely--but not humanly.

We just got rid of smoking from North Carolina's restaurants and bars. Please don't tell me that I will now have to inhale secondhand fur.

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Why Our Justice System Is Broken: Part 1

Here on GPT, I don't just talk about fun and good times (though I do most often). From time to time, I try to discuss issues. True, it's been awhile, but I've discussed race and politics several times. And those are certainly two of the touchiest subjects amongst people. But since this is indeed Grown People Talking, we must be sure to do just that.

Well, this may be a topic that makes some uncomfortable and many may disagree with my argument, but I have a problem with an ordinance that Mecklenburg County passed yesterday. In an 8-1 vote, county commissioners enacted an ordinance that bans sex offenders from county parks. Let me first say that I think that people who commit sex crimes are despicable human beings, especially when those acts involve children. And I'm a strong believer in victim's rights.

But let's stop and think for a second. What other types of crimes are punished in as many ways as sex offenses? If I killed someone, served 30 years in prison and was then released, I would be able to go to a park just like anyone who's never committed a crime. Plus, if I was that murderer, I would also be able to live wherever I want without having to register the way that sex offenders are required to.

Do I think sex offenders should be treated easier? Heck no. But I believe that all people should be treated fairly even if they have a criminal history. Our justice system is broken. I'm sure most would agree that it is designed more to punish than to rehabilitate. I believe that if you do the crime you should do the time. But let's not pretend like we're not giving people lifetime punishments and are just not calling it such.

I can tell you what's at the heart of this new ban: people's concern for their children. I'm not a parent, but I'm sure if I was I would do whatever I could to protect my kids, too. But we can't allow fear to push us too far. So far that we think we can solve problems or prevent crimes simply by boxing people in then releasing them and boxing them out.

Previously passed sex offender laws also prohibit offenders from coming within 1,000 feet of schools or day cares. That law is obviously designed to protect children. But, again, a convicted killer could pick his kids up from those places. Probably even serve on the PTA if no one knew about his past, which they probably wouldn't because he doesn't have to register.

I remember seeing something on TV several years ago, and I apologize that I don't recall all of the details, but it was something about someone proposing that we place all sex offenders on an island and force them to live there for the rest of their lives. It was called ridiculous and unfeasible at the time. But it might not be that far away.

As I got to the end of this blog post, I realized that there are several other things that I think is wrong with our justice system. And since I usually come up with the titles of these posts at the end, I've decided to make this a series, which makes this part 1.

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