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Posted: May 26th, 2010 James Willamor

People holding yellow hammers filled Uptown’s Marshall Park as friends, family, community leaders, and service providers rallied in support of area mental health services at Be The Bridge event on May 21.

“As services are cut, more than ever we need to be the bridge,” said Tim Holland, a rally co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Person-Centered Partnerships.

Every time a speaker would mention “bridges,” the crowd waved their foam hammers.

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Posted: May 25th, 2010 Meaghan Clark

Here are stories that caught our eye this week:

1. What will the kids think? Doctored images of Dora the Explorer looking like a captured illegal immigrant is generating strong responses and harsh words here in Charlotte.

2. Artist Paris Pierides leaves his stamp on many bodies in the Queen City. The tattoo artist has set up shop in Charlotte and is bringing his award-winning style to the prestigious InkFest Live 2010 Tour: The Urban Tattoo Expo.

3. Should the North Carolina legislature consider an immigration bill similar to the one recently enacted in Arizona? Many say it won’t fly here.

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Posted: May 25th, 2010 Meaghan Clark

“One nation under God, indivisible..." is happening right here in the Queen City.

A group of artists in Charlotte who have come together under the name God City presented their views on culture, politics and community on May 18 at the Mint Museum.

Part of the Point 8 discussion forum series, God City's "From the Ain't Gots to the Have Nots" theme spurred discussion and challenged people to re-think their views.

The collective smartly began the program with a mash-up of their influences featuring cultural references such as images of past President Ronald Reagan (who it was concluded during the discussion, was personally responsible for the creation of hip bop… but that’s another story!), '80s musical icons such as Flavor Flav and Michael Jackson and pop cultural phenomenon such as Smurfs. The audience lapped it up.

Though they share similar interests in hip-hop music, comics, pop culture, urban themes and politics, the members of God City would argue that they aren’t exclusively hip-hop artists. “I like hip hop but I’m not a hip hop artist,” said Marcus Kiser, who is graphic designer by day. Several of his pieces referenced super heroes and early '80s pop culture.

Member Antoine Williams, on the other hand, announced he wouldn’t be an artist if it weren’t for hip hop. Williams recalled spending hours of his youth deciphering hip hop lyrics and being inspired to create stories and images of his surroundings. Using political leaders as superheroes, Williams is clearly the most political of the group and challenged the audience on the issues of race, equality and justice.

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Posted: May 24th, 2010 Liz Barrett

Applications are now available for the 2010-2011 Front Porch Grant Program. You can learn more about it, here, on the Foundation For The Carolina’s website.  Front Porch Grants support the creation of small-scale gatherings that build relationships by exchanging ideas, experiences or actions. The grant program is named to honor the power of a simple gathering place, such as a front porch, where people can meet and begin to build relationships. The Front Porch Grants program is open to neighborhood associations, social clubs, school groups and other civic organizations. Grants will be awarded up to $2,500.

Applications are due June 18th. There will be two Technical Assistance sessions held to answer questions and to provide help with projects and applications. The first session will be Thursday, May 27th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm and the second session will be Wednesday, June 2nd, 11:30am to 1:00pm. Both sessions will take place at the Foundation.

Front Porch Grants foster bridge building between individuals, communities, neighborhoods and organizations. The goal of the grant program is to increase trust and expand social connections and informal networks.

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