HBCU sports at home

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Providence Day School is committed to Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging.

Happy Wednesday, Qcity!

Today in History: In 1881, Lewis Howard Latimer and Joseph V. Nichols patented the electric lamp.

Today in Charlotte: Son Little at Visulite Theatre.

Today’s Hot Job: WDAV Classic Public Radio is seeking a donor services coordinator.

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Need more guidance on how to secure grants and loans for your business? Join us at our Women Thrive Conference on Oct. 7 to hear from U.S. Bank’s Tamika Strafford and other Black female speakers leading sessions at our day long event. Get $75 tickets today and sign up to learn more.

HBCU NEWS

CIAA’s new partnership with Black-owned media

HBCU sports will be broadcast directly into homes all over the country soon. The CIAA inked a 10-year broadcast deal with HBCU GO, the conference announced yesterday.

HBCU GO, a free streaming service from Allen Media Group, a Black-owned media company based in Los Angeles, will share games on its app and on live TV.

The deal kicks will kick off this season with HBCU GO’s broadcast of five CIAA football games — including the 2023 CIAA Football Championship — televised live on TheGrio Cable Television Network.

The long-term goal is to broadcast all CIAA team sports on HBCU GO and Allen Media Group platforms.

CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker said the opportunity to broadcast CIAA games was “ well-deserved and long overdue.”

Keep Reading. [Jalon Hill]

ARTS & CULTURE

R&B artist Durand Bernarr talks tour, songwriting and fashion

Durand Bernarr is well-known for his imaginative fashions, genre-bending music style and his unapologetic sense of self. His latest tour is set to land in Charlotte this Friday, Sept. 15 at the Underground and Bernarr told QCity Metro fans can expect something right from his imagination..

“It’s the family reunion. It’s a Broadway show. It’s the comedy club,” Bernarr said.

Bernarr, 34, placed second in a BET music reality competition show called “Next Big Thing,” and since then, he’s worked with Erykah Badu, had his own “Tiny Desk” appearance and more.

QCity Metro spoke with Bernarr about his artistry, his songwriting and what to expect about his upcoming sold out show in Charlotte.

Keep Reading. [Anders J. Hare]

PARTNER POST

Embracing diversity; nurturing community

Providence Day believes in developing within our students an ability to value the differences among people in our school community, as well as those in the world around us.

We are committed to nurturing an inclusive community that embraces the diversity of the human experience.

We are intentional in cultivating multiculturally aware, global citizens who acknowledge their social responsibility and who are empowered to take action to foster equitable communities.

Learn more

PARTNER POST

Don’t miss your chance to experience Uptown Charlotte’s coolest ault’s -only social event this Friday, September 15! Featuring live entertainment, food trucks, specialty cocktails, animal encounters, science shows and more, Science on the Rocks is the time to leave the young ones at home while the adults take over Discovery Place Science for the night.

Get tickets here

PARTNER POST

Enjoy a community lunch

Join friends, family and neighbors for a free meal, arts and culture experiences, and a conversation about the arts, science and history opportunities you want in your neighborhood. Get signed up today!

EDUCATION

CMS: $120 million spent with minority-owned business

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools spent $120.3 million with minority-, women- and small business-owned firms in the fiscal year that ended July 1, according to a report given to the Board of Education at its Sept. 12 meeting.

Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprise (MSWBE) firms accounted for 23.4% of eligible CMS spending, which is tracked in four categories: construction, architecture and engineering, contracted services, and goods.

Nearly half of the district’s construction spending, in 2022 to 2023 was with MSWBE firms, according to Chiquitha Lloyd, the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at CMS.

A total of $20,128,848 or 47% of all spending went to Black-owned businesses, according to CMS.

Keep reading. [Destiniee Jaram]

PARTNER POST

Free to be authentically you

Aldersgate has plenty to offer when it comes to senior living.

Thanks to a large park-like campus, fitness activities and more, Aldersgate was voted Best Retirement Community in Charlotte by the Charlotte Observer for three years in a row.

See more of what Aldersgate has to offer for yourself or a loved one looking for senior living.

POLITICS

Renee Johnson will retain her District 4 seat

After winning the District 4 Democratic primary on Tuesday, Charlotte City Council member Renee Johnson celebrated with George Dunlap, who chairs the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.(Photo: Glenn H, Burkins/QCity Metro)

After defeating two Democratic challengers in the Charlotte City Council primaries on Tuesday, Renee Perkins Johnson said her win was a message from District 4 voters.

Her chief opponent, Will Russell, had the backing of Mayor Vi Lyles, two former council members and the endorsement of The Charlotte Observer.

When the last vote was counted, Johnson emerged with 52% of the district’s votes.

Read on to go inside her election-night victory party.

PARTNER POST

Learn the history of Afrobeats

Set against a canvas of projected images, Fela! The Concert is driven by the electrifying rhythms of an Afrobeat band, with singers and dancers bringing to life Fela Kuti’s spirit.

Get tickets here.

More News

➡️ Local: Charlotte Democrats and unaffiliated voters hit the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the Charlotte City Council Democratic primary. There are no Republicans with primary challenges. The election turnout was 23,676 out of a possible 482,577 voters, or 4.91%. (WSOC-TV)

➡️ State: Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper appointed Allison Riggs, appellate judge and longtime voting rights attorney to fill a vacancy on the North Carolina Supreme Court created when one of two Democratic justices stepped down early. (AP News)

➡️ Health: The new COVID boosters are coming: Here’s what you need to know. (NPR)

➡️ World: U.S. suicides hit an all-time suicide rate in 2022. About 49,500 people took their own lives last year in the U.S., the highest number ever. (Winston-Salem Journal)