Posted: January 19th, 2012 Ken Garfield

At first glance, it looked like any other Sunday morning in the pews at Providence United Methodist Church: A largely white congregation gathered to worship God – very friendly and slightly older, which is typical now for mainstream, moderate congregations in Charlotte and beyond.   

But what was different on the pulpit on this Sunday (Jan. 15) told the story of Xchange Sermons, and the story of anything-but-average houses of worship willing to take a stand for reconciliation. On this weekend honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Providence United Methodist welcomed the pastor and choir from St. Mark’s United Methodist, an African American congregation on Clanton Road. At the start of this third season of clergy of different beliefs, color and cultures swapping pulpits, the message of Rev. Paul Milton rang out in an extraordinary way: “Have you heard the voice of God?” he preached to 650 at the two morning services. “When God calls you by name, He will say, ‘Yes, you can.’ ”   

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Posted: January 18th, 2012 Lee Howard

West Meck Senior Donavon Dicks won this year’s Pride Global Youth Award, which honors an outstanding Mecklenburg County high school student who has demonstrated global volunteerism, fundraising for worthy causes or mission work. The Pride Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments in the African-American community.

Members of the Occupy Charlotte movement asked the Charlotte City Council last week not to prohibit camping on city property, which would force the protesters to remove their tents and belongings from old City Hall. Council members are considering crowd-control ordinances to prepare for September’s Democratic National Convention, which will likely draw hundreds or thousands of protestors.

A significant cluster of Chinese scientists and their families has migrated to Cabarrus County in the last few years. They've come to work at Dole’s NC Research Campus. They have found their growing numbers helpful in adapting to the area.

Time Out Youth (TOY) has hired a new executive director,Rodney Tucker. Long known for his involvement with the LBGT community, Tucker says he’s optimistic about TOY’s future. Tucker is a native of nearby Oakboro, N.C., and a former employee of the Regional HIV/AIDS Consortium.

The ostensibly non-partisan Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, now nonetheless in the hands a Democratic majority, is in the throes of selecting a new CMS superintendent. How will the selection play out? For the last two years, no party has held five votes on the nine-member board.

Posted: January 18th, 2012 Lee Howard

West Meck Senior Donavon Dicks won this year’s Pride Global Youth Award, which honors an outstanding Mecklenburg County high school student who has demonstrated global volunteerism, fundraising for worthy causes or mission work. The Pride Awards recognize outstanding accomplishments in the African-American community.

Members of the Occupy Charlotte movement asked the Charlotte City Council last week not to prohibit camping on city property, which would force the protesters to remove their tents and belongings from old City Hall. Council members are considering crowd-control ordinances to prepare for September’s Democratic National Convention, which will likely draw hundreds or thousands of protestors.

A significant cluster of Chinese scientists and their families has migrated to Cabarrus County in the last few years. They've come to work at Dole’s NC Research Campus. They have found their growing numbers helpful in adapting to the area.

Time Out Youth (TOY) has hired a new executive director,Rodney Tucker. Long known for his involvement with the LBGT community, Tucker says he’s optimistic about TOY’s future. Tucker is a native of nearby Oakboro, N.C., and a former employee of the Regional HIV/AIDS Consortium.

The ostensibly non-partisan Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board, now nonetheless in the hands a Democratic majority, is in the throes of selecting a new CMS superintendent. How will the selection play out? For the last two years, no party has held five votes on the nine-member board.

Posted: January 17th, 2012 Tonya Jameson

Artist Edwin Gil is at it again – uniting cultures through art. This time he using the tradition of quilting along with social media and good ol’ fashioned paint to create “Quilting Differences.”

The A.C.T. (Achieving Community Today)-funded project features 18 people, nine from the U.S. and nine from abroad. The participants’ childhood stories and favorite colors will create a multimedia quilt. On Saturday, local participants stopped by Gil Gallery to record their stories and paint their swatches.

Gil said he was particularly excited about using social media as a part of this project because it will help show people the range of uses for social media. For example, he’s using Skype to create works for “Quilting Differences.” In this project, people from throughout the world share stories from their past.

Marina Berdan participated in Saturday’s workshop because she wanted to share a story from her childhood in Russia. Berdan embodies the project’s soul. She is a Russian native who grew up in Charlotte and is marrying a Colombian-native who lives here as well.

“It brings the whole world together,” Berdan said. “The project, it pretty much shows that no matter where you’re from, no matter what you do you’re the same. “

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