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

Jul 2, 2025 / By

Kimberly Jones: Public education is a sacred obligation

You cannot ask schools to solve every societal ill while refusing to fund the systems that make solutions possible. Public education cannot be reimagined if it is underfunded, undermined, and politicized. At the very least, you should place a moratorium on the expansion of private school vouchers, which siphon vital resources away from the public schools that serve the vast majority of our children. I have said it before and will say it again: public dollars belong in public schools. We cannot keep pretending to champion success for all students while funding systems that are not held to the same standards of transparency, access, or accountability.

READ MORE

Jul 2, 2025 / By

Rev. Della Owens: Lawmakers should kill the ‘Big Deadly Bill’

Medicaid is a lifeline for low-income people all over America and is the United States’ largest insurer. Additionally, the bill would gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides resources to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and ensure access to nutritious food. Thousands of those receiving food assistance, 13% of North Carolinians, would lose that assistance under the bill.

READ MORE

Jun 30, 2025 / By

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: The real reason we’re being told to hate Pride

Pride has been celebrated in the United States and North Carolina for decades now, but it’s meeting new resistance. Nationally, anti-LGBTQ demonstrations and violence are rising. New FBI data shows that 2,402 hate crimes related to sexual orientation were reported in 2023 in the U.S., which the Human Rights Campaign called “disturbing, record-breaking” numbers.  

READ MORE

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

Our Stories

Jul 2, 2025 / By

Kimberly Jones: Public education is a sacred obligation

You cannot ask schools to solve every societal ill while refusing to fund the systems that make solutions possible. Public education cannot be reimagined if it is underfunded, undermined, and politicized. At the very least, you should place a moratorium on the expansion of private school vouchers, which siphon vital resources away from the public schools that serve the vast majority of our children. I have said it before and will say it again: public dollars belong in public schools. We cannot keep pretending to champion success for all students while funding systems that are not held to the same standards of transparency, access, or accountability.

READ MORE

Jul 2, 2025 / By

Rev. Della Owens: Lawmakers should kill the ‘Big Deadly Bill’

Medicaid is a lifeline for low-income people all over America and is the United States’ largest insurer. Additionally, the bill would gut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides resources to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget and ensure access to nutritious food. Thousands of those receiving food assistance, 13% of North Carolinians, would lose that assistance under the bill.

READ MORE

Jun 30, 2025 / By

Gwen Frisbie-Fulton: The real reason we’re being told to hate Pride

Pride has been celebrated in the United States and North Carolina for decades now, but it’s meeting new resistance. Nationally, anti-LGBTQ demonstrations and violence are rising. New FBI data shows that 2,402 hate crimes related to sexual orientation were reported in 2023 in the U.S., which the Human Rights Campaign called “disturbing, record-breaking” numbers.  

READ MORE

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