May 7, 2019 He cut his teeth on executing the details of the CIAA tournament. Derek Webber went on to create a Battle of the Bands that after five years had outgrown Charlotte's Memorial Stadium. Webber Tuesday recounted his side of unsuccessful efforts to move the showcase for HBCU marching banks ... Continue Reading →
Bryson makes pitch for public support of arena football team
carolinaenergyfootball.com April 2, 2019 Ervin Bryson says he's least-known business owner in Charlotte. And he'd like some help with that. Bryson stood during the Forum's announced, announced his arena football team and two of its players, and talked about their contributions to area ... Continue Reading →
African American Community Foundation: Building on 2 women’s vision
March 5, 2019 They are building on the shoulders of two African-American women who were devoted to Charlotte. The work that Elizabeth Randolph began in education and Lethia Henderson began in health care continues through small grants that the African American Community Foundation can make ... Continue Reading →
Preparing for the upcoming moment
Feb. 5, 2019 Jesse Cureton is on the mental move all the time. From the Southside Homes of his low-income youth to the corporate C-suite. From raising millions so his city could host the upcoming NBA All Stars game to designing his own approach to meeting the financial goals of the ... Continue Reading →
Mitchell offers his views on how Charlotte lost the CIAA tourney
Jan. 8, 2019 James Mitchell was scheduled to speak about something else on this morning after the CIAA announced it would take its tournament to Baltimore. But in this excerpt from the Forum captured by Jessica Davis, Mitchell addresses the issue of the day. In this telling, the city's bid to ... Continue Reading →
Nonprofit to train workers for hazardous cleanup jobs
July 31, 2018 Dr. Tonnia Thomas is executive director of a nonprofit called Training to Work an Industry Niche (TWIN). Last year, the nonprofit operated a pilot program; this year it begins full-scale operations to train people to take jobs in hazardous waste cleanup and similar environmental ... Continue Reading →
His eye’s on funneling capital to entrepreneurs building businesses
July 24, 2018 Patrick Cannon asked that he be allowed to introduce David Sharp to Forum participants. Cannon argued that African Americans in Charlotte seek advice of whites about financing their businesses, but run down or ignore African Americans who have similar or better credentials and ... Continue Reading →
2 Charlotte natives are making their marks
From left: Dr. Shanté Williams, Lambert Guinn. Feb. 13, 2018 Two Charlotte natives are back in the city and they are making their marks. Dr. Shanté Williams is a chemist and inventor with a work history in big pharma. All that has led her into founding an investment firm and head the city's ... Continue Reading →
Preserving, sharing the wisdom of the African Diaspora
June 20, 2017 A Sign of the Times is a performance group dedicated to "preserving the legacy of the African Diaspora through music, dance and the spoken word." It is Toni Tupponce's life work. In her presentation about the group's work, she highlighted efforts to engage young people to take the ... Continue Reading →
Longtime community leader outlines what it takes to make change
June 6, 2017 Rickey Hall was to be part of a panel discussion of the city's Neighborhood Matching Grants program. His late arrival put him on front of the Forum alone, and his comments went way beyond the city program explored here. Hall described a from-the-bottom-up effort to end food ... Continue Reading →