BEACON VOICES

Empowering Voices, Inspiring Action

At Beacon Media, our team of dedicated professionals and community advocates work to amplify the stories that matter most to North Carolina. Each voice brings a unique perspective, rooted in a deep commitment to social justice, equity, and community empowerment. Together, we strive to inform, inspire, and drive meaningful change across the state. Discover the individuals behind our mission and learn how their expertise and passion shape the work we do every day.

A man speaking into a microphone inside a building with wooden ceiling beams and warm lighting. He is wearing a dark blazer and a black shirt, and appears to be addressing an audience.

Rev. C.J. Brinson

Pastor, Umoja Church

Rev. C.J. Brinson is the Pastor of Umoja Church and is a clergy organizer in Greensboro, NC. Follow him on Instagram.

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STEVIE BROOKS

Community Organizer

Stevie Brooks was born and raised in Western North Carolina. As a community organizer in Cleveland County, she is an advocate for rural voices and ensuring that the stories of her neighbors reflect their lived experiences.

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Dawn Daly-Mack

Registered Nurse & Manager of Care Management, Carolina Complete Health

Dawn Daly-Mack’s drive is anchored in her unwavering commitment to advancing health equity and social justice. As the Manager of Care Management for Carolina Complete Health, she works to bridge healthcare gaps and ensure patients receive comprehensive, compassionate care.

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Gwen Frisbie-Fulton

Writer and organizer focused on race, class, gender, and Southern politics

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton is a longtime writer, organizer and advocate. The former Communications Director at Down Home North Carolina, she advocates for working-class voices in rural communities. With a passion for racial justice and economic equality, Gwen focuses on amplifying multiracial power through organizing and storytelling. 

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Dalton George, a young man with light brown hair, green eyes, and a mustache, smiles slightly at the camera. He is wearing a blue and white striped button-up shirt. The background is softly blurred, showing an indoor setting with warm lighting.

Dalton George

Mayor Pro-Tem of Boone, NC

Dalton George serves as the Mayor Pro-Tem of the Town of Boone and is one of the youngest officeholders in the state.  He has spent the better part of the past decade organizing in rural North Carolina around housing, environmental issues, and voting rights. Follow him on Instagram, @DaltonforBoone.

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Martin Henson, a smiling man with braided hair, wearing a patterned button-up shirt, posed in front of a gray marbled background.

Martin Henson

Advocate

Martin Henson, who lives in Raleigh, is an advocate and executive director of BMEN foundation, which convenes Black men to address issues in their lives and communities. See his work at MartinHSpeaks.com.

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Elizabeth Herrera

Co-Founder And Director of Community Advancement OF Casa Azul de Wilson

Elizabeth Herrera is a passionate advocate for Latino education and empowerment as the Co-Founder and Director of Community Advancement for Casa Azul de Wilson. Through Casa Azul, Elizabeth empowers Latino families to thrive academically and beyond.

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Flor Herrera-Picasso

Co-Founder and Executive Director of Casa Azul de Wilson

Flor Herrera-Picasso is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Casa Azul de Wilson, a community-focused organization that champions social justice and education equity. Alongside her sister Elizabeth, Flor has built Casa Azul into a beacon of empowerment, dedicated to the advancement and success of their community.

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Kimberly Jones

Educator

Kimberly Jones, the 2023 Burroughs Wellcome Fund North Carolina Teacher of the Year, is an English and Humanities teacher in Chapel Hill Carrboro City Schools, where she has taught since 2006. Specializing in high school World Literature, Holocaust, and Human Rights education, Kim serves as a Regional Site Director for TOLI and an education consultant for PBS, helping educators create culturally relevant lessons.

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Jeremy Markovich

NC Rabbit Hole

Jeremy Markovich is a journalist and communications expert with deep knowledge of all things North Carolina. As the Director of Communications for the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, he brings his experience as an award-winning reporter, producer, and writer. Jeremy’s commitment to uncovering the state’s hidden narratives make him a leading voice in local media.

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Graig Meyer

Founder, Beacon Media

Graig Meyer’s dedication to public service stems from his deep commitment to social justice and equity. With over a decade of experience in the NC General Assembly, Graig has consistently fought for fair wages, quality healthcare, and access to strong public education. His experience as a social worker and in public schools has shaped his understanding of systemic challenges.

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Weyling White

Mayor of Ahoskie, N.C.

Weyling White is the Mayor of Ahoskie, N.C. His proudest accomplishment has been returning to his hometown to make an impact in his community and his greatest joy is being a father.

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Our Stories

Jun 12, 2025 / By

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: Congress is pushing to drastically cut food aid. Why? 

There is no way that the charitable food bank network — as big and robust as it is — can make up for these devastating cuts. SNAP is, by far, the most efficient and cost-effective way to make sure that people in our communities have enough to eat. What's more, grocers in poor and working-class neighborhoods like mine, as well as rural communities, rely on SNAP dollars to stay open.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Martin Henson: It’s time to address ‘church hurt’

If the church really wants to entice an increasingly nonreligious society to come back into its fold, it is their responsibility to move past its own ego and provide a place for people to process their church hurt.

My church hurt was simple. One of my pastors cheated on his wife. The church fractured. I felt betrayed by the contradictions I witnessed, not yet old enough to understand that the church is made up of people who make mistakes.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Dalton George: Psst, elected officials — get out there and talk to people

Regardless of party, most people hate politics, they distrust the system, and they feel left behind, unheard, and sidelined. I understood how they felt. So how could I reconcile this with being an elected official? I decided on an “ambitious” idea — aiming to talk to people.

These town halls have very little format, lots of me answering questions, sharing frustrations, and inviting people to help me solve the problems. It's risky, no doubt, for an elected official to deviate from the script, but to meet this moment it's also necessary. Opening yourself to a dialogue, answering any question asked can be a challenge, but importantly it also humanizes our decision-makers.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Billy Corriher: N.C. can’t let sore loser candidates undermine our democracy

The losing candidate — Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin — couldn’t steal the election, but he did immeasurable damage to the public’s faith in our democracy. He challenged 65,000 ballots from voters who complied with all the rules, and four justices on our state Supreme Court agreed to throw out some of them. 

Griffin never presented any evidence that voters did anything wrong in casting their ballots, but it suddenly looked like their votes might not count.

READ MORE

May 20, 2025 / By

U.S. Army Veteran: The Trump era isn’t politics as usual. It’s a betrayal of veterans like me

This isn’t politics as usual. This is dangerous. Over the past few months, I’ve watched headlines roll in with a knot in my stomach. Cuts to vital veterans’ services. Mass layoffs of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ staff. Unelected power brokers unraveling programs that took decades to build, with no accountability to the American people. President Donald Trump, backed by the likes of Elon Musk, has allowed his political allies to gut federal agencies, including those that directly serve veterans and their families.

READ MORE

May 14, 2025 / By

Ray Hemachandra: North Carolina should show we value everyone — including those with disabilities

More than 14,000 North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive 'Innovations Waiver' benefits under Medicaid. My son is among those receiving help.

But thousands more North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities — almost 19,000 of them — are on the “Registry of Unmet Needs,” the waitlist to receive these services under Medicaid.

READ MORE

Our Stories

Jun 12, 2025 / By

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: Congress is pushing to drastically cut food aid. Why? 

There is no way that the charitable food bank network — as big and robust as it is — can make up for these devastating cuts. SNAP is, by far, the most efficient and cost-effective way to make sure that people in our communities have enough to eat. What's more, grocers in poor and working-class neighborhoods like mine, as well as rural communities, rely on SNAP dollars to stay open.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Martin Henson: It’s time to address ‘church hurt’

If the church really wants to entice an increasingly nonreligious society to come back into its fold, it is their responsibility to move past its own ego and provide a place for people to process their church hurt.

My church hurt was simple. One of my pastors cheated on his wife. The church fractured. I felt betrayed by the contradictions I witnessed, not yet old enough to understand that the church is made up of people who make mistakes.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Dalton George: Psst, elected officials — get out there and talk to people

Regardless of party, most people hate politics, they distrust the system, and they feel left behind, unheard, and sidelined. I understood how they felt. So how could I reconcile this with being an elected official? I decided on an “ambitious” idea — aiming to talk to people.

These town halls have very little format, lots of me answering questions, sharing frustrations, and inviting people to help me solve the problems. It's risky, no doubt, for an elected official to deviate from the script, but to meet this moment it's also necessary. Opening yourself to a dialogue, answering any question asked can be a challenge, but importantly it also humanizes our decision-makers.

READ MORE

May 28, 2025 / By

Billy Corriher: N.C. can’t let sore loser candidates undermine our democracy

The losing candidate — Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin — couldn’t steal the election, but he did immeasurable damage to the public’s faith in our democracy. He challenged 65,000 ballots from voters who complied with all the rules, and four justices on our state Supreme Court agreed to throw out some of them. 

Griffin never presented any evidence that voters did anything wrong in casting their ballots, but it suddenly looked like their votes might not count.

READ MORE

May 20, 2025 / By

U.S. Army Veteran: The Trump era isn’t politics as usual. It’s a betrayal of veterans like me

This isn’t politics as usual. This is dangerous. Over the past few months, I’ve watched headlines roll in with a knot in my stomach. Cuts to vital veterans’ services. Mass layoffs of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ staff. Unelected power brokers unraveling programs that took decades to build, with no accountability to the American people. President Donald Trump, backed by the likes of Elon Musk, has allowed his political allies to gut federal agencies, including those that directly serve veterans and their families.

READ MORE

May 14, 2025 / By

Ray Hemachandra: North Carolina should show we value everyone — including those with disabilities

More than 14,000 North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities receive 'Innovations Waiver' benefits under Medicaid. My son is among those receiving help.

But thousands more North Carolinians with intellectual and developmental disabilities — almost 19,000 of them — are on the “Registry of Unmet Needs,” the waitlist to receive these services under Medicaid.

READ MORE