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Preston Blakely: My grandmother, still fighting for the right to vote

by Preston Blakely | May 8, 2026 | Black Community, U.S. Politics, Voting

A Black mayor in Western North Carolina reflects on a conversation with his grandmother, who fought for civil rights and the Voting Rights Act 50 years ago. In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last week, that fight continues. By Preston Blakely Beacon Media...

Opinion: Restricting registration forms punishes North Carolina voters

by Beacon Media | Mar 11, 2026 | Black Community, Elections, Latino Community, Voting

By Kate Fellman You Can Vote Photo by Ernie Journeys on Unsplash Following a successful primary election with energetic voter participation all over the state, we expect voters to be even more eager to make their voice heard in the fall. North Carolinians have a...
Billy Ball: How Jesse Jackson was vilified — and ultimately redeemed

Billy Ball: How Jesse Jackson was vilified — and ultimately redeemed

by Beacon Media | Feb 25, 2026 | Black Community, Elections, History, Politics, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized

The white South made a villain of a native son, but the region never had a better champion for it on the big stage than the Rev. Jesse Jackson. By Billy Ball The Living South Photo by Fine Photographics on Unsplash In 1984, the Rev. Jesse Jackson lost...
Preston Blakely: What wielding a vacuum has taught me about power

Preston Blakely: What wielding a vacuum has taught me about power

by Preston Blakely | Nov 5, 2025 | Beacon Voices, Elections, Labor, Local Politics, North Carolina, North Carolina Community, Preston Blakely

Cleaning and vacuuming taught the mayor of Fletcher, N.C., a small Western North Carolina town near Asheville, what a gavel never could about leadership and how to be a mayor.

Preston Blakely: My grandmothers couldn’t vote freely. I’m now the Mayor.

Preston Blakely: My grandmothers couldn’t vote freely. I’m now the Mayor.

by Preston Blakely | Jul 12, 2025 | Black Community, Elections, Local Organizing, Local Politics, North Carolina, Preston Blakely, Western North Carolina

Mayor Preston Blakely of Fletcher, N.C., reflects on his legacy and the struggle for Civil Rights that he inherited from his family. 

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