Enlarge Guest mingle at "Jazz on the Lawn" at VanLandingham Estate.

Posted: August 29th, 2010 Lashawnda Becoats

On a warm summer evening, more than 150 people gathered in East Charlotte at the historic VanLandingham Estate.

No, it wasn’t for a wedding.

Instead, it was the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce’s first “Jazz on the Lawn” event at the beautiful estate. Normally held in Uptown, the event was put together to help promote and celebrate the diverse businesses and people on the east side of the city.

“We see this as an important diversity and inclusion strategy,” said Keva Walton, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Diversity at the chamber. “We are growing a chamber that is more inclusive.”

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Posted: August 26th, 2010 Tonya Jameson

The Women’s equality movement could use a cause celebré. It needs another Hillary Clinton to rally pantsuit-wearing professional women. It needs another Sarah Palin to rally folksy stay-at-home-moms.  
              
I came to this realization while covering the Women’s Equality Day: Celebrating Women: Past, Present and Future event hosted by The Mecklenburg County Women’s Advisory Board at the Levine Museum of the New South on Monday. The event drew more than 75 women of all ages eager to celebrate and reflect on the advances women have made. They also discussed the hurdles women still face.
           
“We’re not there yet, but we’ve certainly made huge strides,” said Sally McMillan, history professor at Davidson College.
           
We know the strides--women hold public offices, they’re CEOs of major companies and they’re a majority of our college graduates. We also know the challenges--they’re victims of domestic violence, they don’t receive equal pay and many can’t afford childcare.
           
The problem is the hurdles aren’t polarizing enough. McMillan admits it's tough getting her students at Davidson to be interested in women’s history and women’s struggle for equality. The problem is that the struggle for women’s equality is simply history for today’s younger generation. They can’t relate to the struggles of their foremothers. It easy to see a Clinton, a Palin or even an Oprah and feel disconnected from the fight that opened the door for them.
           
Affordable daycare, stiffer domestic violence penalties and equal pay seem more like part of the everyday life than a cause for protest. The Women’s Equality event at the Levine was an important reminder that these issues shouldn’t be accepted as part the daily routine. They are reasons for today's women to fight and protest so their daughters can benefit from the gains they've made.

Posted: August 25th, 2010 James Willamor

The fifth annual Battle Slam Jam incorporated skateboarding, dance, music and art at Grayson Skate Park on Saturday, August 21st. Rock and hip-hop artists blasted out tunes as young and old alike competed in skateboarding and breakdancing competitions. Shidaun Campbell, who goes by the name Africano, is an artist, human beatboxer, dancer and poet has helped with the dance portion of Battle Slam Jam since its beginning five years ago.

“The whole idea was to bring skate culture together with hip-hop, which has already been together for a while, but to represent it at one of the largest outdoor events in Charlotte, and one of the fasting growing events in Charlotte. I can definitely tell there is a lot of diversity here right now,” said Campbell.

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Posted: August 24th, 2010 Greg Lacour

Some stories worth sharing this week:

• The recession, bit by bit, is chipping away at the network of services the needy in Charlotte use for the most basic things. The Observer’s Tim Funk chronicles how Catholic Social Services’ burial assistance fund is running dry.
• Some slightly better news from another Charlotte social service agency: Urban Ministry Center kept intact its record of serving free lunch to the homeless and hungry, even though it couldn’t keep its roof intact.
• Here’s an important update on one of Charlotte’s most important issues, affordable housing. The city is thinking about changes to the rules governing affordable housing as part of a larger effort to disperse it throughout the city.
• You hear about this sort of thing every once in a while, but given the times, it’s astonishing: A woman who chose to remain anonymous donates $400,000 to pay for a seniors’ group at Greater Bethel AME Church.
• Finally, do not underestimate the power of the Tweet. CLT Blog’s Desiree Kane organized a two-hour “hashtag party” to try to drum up support for Charlotte as the Democratic National Committee met to discuss, among other things, the site of the 2012 Democratic National Convention. (Her efforts got noticed, too.)