All Beacon Stories
The stories of Hurricane Helene through comics
The Appalachia Comics Project is working to produce its first book, “Islands in the Sky” (which will be available in digital and print formats) about Hurricane Helene.
Melissa Castillo: Let’s stop breaking our promise to migrant workers
The deportations happening in North Carolina are the continuation of a long line of broken promises to our migrant workforce.
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: Congress is pushing to drastically cut food aid. Why?
Devastating cuts are on the table for communities across the country and the more than 1.4 million North Carolinians who rely on food stamps.
Martin Henson: The unfulfilled promises of George Floyd’s legacy
Five years after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police, Black Lives Matter activist Martin Henson reflects on Floyd’s legacy and the change that hasn’t come.
Martin Henson: It’s time to address ‘church hurt’
The church can play an important role in American society again but both the church and those who might attend have a responsibility in addressing harms.
Dalton George: Psst, elected officials — get out there and talk to people
The Boone Town Council member says that talking to people in real life is a simple, important way to restore faith in government and democracy.
Billy Corriher: N.C. can’t let sore loser candidates undermine our democracy
The N.C. courts expert writes about the threats to democracy after the recent state Supreme Court race between Justice Allison Riggs and Judge Jefferson Griffin.
Ernestine Ledbetter: Duke Energy’s costly plans don’t help bills or the environment
The 74-year-old retiree wants Duke Energy to stop raising her bills and endangering the planet.
U.S. Army Veteran: The Trump era isn’t politics as usual. It’s a betrayal of veterans like me
The veteran, SFC (Ret.) Jay Carey, who was shown in a viral video being escorted from an event for Rep. Chuck Edwards in Western North Carolina, says now is the time to fight for democracy.
Denzel Burnside: Housing in N.C. is a roadblock to the American Dream
There are several proposals that would help emerging in the North Carolina General Assembly this year.
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.
Rose Hoban: Should teens’ driving requirements be shortened in North Carolina?
As lawmakers in Raleigh consider a bill that would change the required hours for teens’ provisional permits, some are raising concerns. By Rose HobanN.C. Health News Credit: Ron Lach; Creative Commons License One night, not long after I’d graduated high...
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: Why the costs of childcare shouldn’t be borne alone
As her son graduates high school, the writer realizes the tremendous costs of childcare early in her son’s life have ripple effects well past those years. By Gwen Frisbie-Fulton Beacon Media Credit: PickPik I’m a heck of a proud mom. My son is graduating next...
Ryan Wegener: How a Confederate monument shows what’s possible
An organizer considers his and his town’s past as he confronts a time of political division. By Ryan Wegener Beacon Media Source: UNC Chapel Hill - Documenting the American South Most Confederate monuments face North to represent defending against the...
Martin Henson: Student loan confusion, delays are stalling dreams
The writer calls on family and communities to rally around those affected by budget cuts and disarray in the federal government that is affecting student loans. By Martin Henson Beacon Media Creative Commons license. Credit: Wikimedia Commons user...
Rev. C.J. Brinson: A time for Democrats to break the silence
Pastor C.J. Brinson says the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., anti-Vietnam speech should encourage Democrats like N.C. Gov. Josh Stein to have more courage. By C.J. Brinson Beacon Media Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1964. Source: Wikimedia Commons In a...
Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: A love letter to the working class
The writer reflects on her love of all things associated with the working class. By Gwen Frisbie-Fulton Working Class Storytelling City of Greenville, North Carolina, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons It started in the back seat of my family’s Jeep Cherokee, the...
Dalton George: My personal affordable housing crisis
A young renter — who is also a member of the Boone Town Council — reflects on his and North Carolina’s affordable housing crisis. By Dalton George Beacon Media Downtown Boone, North Carolina in the summer of 2023. Photo by Amanda Underwood. It took a...
Stevie Brooks: How we turned a protest into our version of a church
A rally held in protest of federal actions, courtesy of Stevie Brooks. Last month, the leader of a protest in Shelby gathered the community and conquered fears and critics. By Stevie Brooks Beacon Media When I got home the night of the big protest I...
Jeremy Markovich: There is no such thing as a Durham accent
People are all up in arms about the North Carolina accents from the latest season of “The White Lotus.” So where exactly did they come from? By Jeremy Markovich Beacon Media Jason Isaacs with Morgana O'Reilly on Season 3 of "The White Lotus." Photograph by Fabio...