One day last spring I looked out my window and saw a woman walking toward my house with two dogs. I assumed she thought our long driveway was a road and went outside to talk to her. I found out […]  »  Read More

Like most of you, I have found the last two years challenging, first dealing with ruinous and divisive party politics, then the contested presidential election and terrible insurrection of January 6th, and meanwhile the pandemic looming over everything. So I […]  »  Read More

When I first went to Massachusetts in the early 90s, some people asked me, “How can you live in the South with so many rednecks?” I was both shocked and horrified, not understanding what they meant by the term. More […]  »  Read More

Imagine if I could tell you there is an organizing model for Voter Registration and Get-Out-the-Vote (GOTV) that is 100 times more effective than social media, phone calls or mailings. I’m talking about Spirit in Action’s organizing model, “TAKE 10.” […]  »  Read More

Originally published in October 2021. When dollars are spent locally, they can be re-spent locally Did you know that locally-owned businesses circulate three times more money back into the local economy than chain stores do? A Shopping List – I […]  »  Read More

Originally published in September 2021 Small corner stores are often the only source of food for underserved communities. They may be the main source of groceries, yet they mainly stock processed foods that are high in calories, fat and salt. […]  »  Read More

Originally published in September 2021 There are approximately 150,000 farmworkers and their dependents in North Carolina each growing season, but this estimate is considered low. One of the groups Bethsaida and I visited this summer, AMEXCAN, is essential to the […]  »  Read More

Originally published in August 2021 How Kinston Teens Are Changing Their Community At age 14, Chris Suggs was already losing friends, schoolmates, and family to drug and gun violence. Coming from a community that is the most economically distressed in […]  »  Read More

Originally published in July 2021 “We are the armor bearers for Elizabeth City” The Faith & Victory Christian Church (FVCC) [https://www.fvccfamily.org] is a non-denominational church that Bethsaida Ruiz and I visited in June in Elizabeth City, NC. It truly acts […]  »  Read More

Originally published in July 2021 Since we left Asheville last week, my colleague, Bethsaida Ruiz, and I have made our way across North Carolina and are now in Elizabeth City at the top northeastern corner of the state. After visiting […]  »  Read More