A five-hour meeting about the future of Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies raised as many questions as it answered.
Tag: Durham
A Cultural Institution at a Crossroads
Work at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies has all but stopped, staff have quit, and more are being laid off.
Beyond Juneteenth
One hundred and fifty-six years after the first official celebration of Juneteenth, the question remains whether Black Americans can have full freedom without economic emancipation. The fight over the future of Durham’s historic Hayti neighborhood tells that story.
A New Wave Of Top Chefs
North Carolina’s food scene—and Black chefs in particular—are getting a new level of attention in this year’s James Beard Foundation Awards.
Buying a Blue Seat
How the race for North Carolina’s most progressive district became the most expensive Democratic congressional primary in state history.
How the Fall of NC Mutual Hurt Black America
The last remaining Black insurance firm in the U.S., which is based in downtown Durham, will disappear this year. Its demise reflects the decline of an era of Black capitalism that supported African-American upward mobility.
Duke University and the Troubles of College Sports
A veteran professor enjoys Cameron craziness as much as any Blue Devils fan, but says big-time college sports dominate what are supposed to be nonprofit academic institutions. Even at Duke, which considers itself a shining star, there’s academic corner-cutting, rampant commercialization, and some unsettling racial dynamics.
Police Reform Finds Its Backlash
Durham was transforming the police long before ‘Defund’ became a national discussion. But after an electoral shift in the deep blue city, the future of an aggressive push on policing alternatives is uncertain—and shootings continue.
Art, Power, and Profit at Duke University
Two longtime Duke faculty members are behind an anticipated $2 million in art sales that raise questions about the ethical use of public-domain images, power imbalances within academia, and a university’s thorny role as a gatekeeper of information and access.
The Progressive Fight for Durham’s Soul
Last year, Durham’s county manager accused a commissioner of racism. Last week, commissioners ousted him. This is the inside story of how North Carolina’s most progressive county is tearing itself apart.