Charlotte Talks on WFAE

As Charlotte grows, so too do surrounding towns and cities. Small farming communities or sleepy textile mill towns have transformed into independent, vibrant towns with their own identities - how did they get there? Many people work in Charlotte but live all over the metro area. What makes those towns and cities home? How do they maintain their own identities and preserve their histories without being absorbed as another outlying suburb of Charlotte? We'll look at the unique challenges towns face, their relationship with the city of Charlotte and the state and find out how they distinguish themselves. How do small towns like Belmont, Matthews and Huntersville creatively stimulate economic growth? We'll find out from the people responsible for their growth and success in a wide-ranging conversation about smart growth, development, town identity and more, when Charlotte Talks.

Athletes have long been seen as societal role models, whether they like it or not. But in recent years, there's been a push in the sports community to use sports and athletes as agents for change, acceptance and for athletes to be leaders in matters of moral influence. We'll talk with representatives from both collegiate and professional sports programs who will discuss the ways they are pushing athletes in their organizations to use their position to better society and improve the communities in which they live, and more, when Charlotte Talks.

Plenty of older adults talk about the good old days when kids ran free, sometimes ranging through their neighborhoods or towns without their parents even knowing where they were. The trend reversed in recent times with the rise of Helicopter parents hovering over their child's every move and limiting their independence. Lenore Skenazy rejected that trend and she made headlines when she allowed her 9 year old son to ride a NYC subway alone. She forged the popularity into a bully pulpit to advance the idea of "free range kids." Her reality show, The World's Worst Mom, irony intended, explores modern parenting. We will too when Charlotte Talks.

Today's regularly scheduled Charlotte Talks did not air. WFAE carried special coverage from NPR of the unfolding events in Boston. We will reschedule our conversation about 'The Innocence Project' for another date. 

Last year, North Carolinians voted in favor of an amendment that bans same-sex marriage and civil unions. The Supreme Court recently weighed the decision of repealing the Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, we are still awaiting their decision. But activists are not giving up and are holding out hope that with continued education gays will one day have the right to marry in this state. It’s a passionate discussion that brings up serious questions like religious beliefs versus constitutional rights, sexual identity versus ‘lifestyle’ choice. We will speak with local activists about where we are headed, when Charlotte Talks.

Part One: Ron Rash. Poet, short story writer and novelist Ron Rash is having a busy year - his latest book of short stories Nothing Gold Can Stay, set in Appalachia with stories that span from the Civil War to present day - was released in February. And his novel Serena is being made into a movie with Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. It's set to hit theaters in December. North Carolina native Ron Rash is in town for CPCC's Sensoria Festival, and while he's here, we'll talk about his writing process, the different genres of writing that he works in, and about the experience of having one of his books made into a movie, when Charlotte Talks.

From time to time on this show, we discuss performances of plays, musicals, symphonies or operas composed or created by talented artists who are no longer with us, or who aren't available to join us on the show. On this edition of the show, however, we're joined by a living legend, an American composer and librettist who has been creating famous operas since the 1950's! Carlisle Floyd will join us, along with 4-time Grammy Award-winning American tenor Anthony Dean Griffey. They're in town to do residencies at Wingate University, and while they're here, they'll join us to talk about their craft and their worldwide prominence in opera and music performance, when Charlotte Talks.

Our new Governor has barely settled in but has already made news by giving a substantial raise to his new cabinet appointees. He also repealed Gov. Perdue's Executive Order that was aimed at reforming the Judicial appointing process. Governor McCrory has also weighed in on the Trolley and stadium upgrades for the Carolina Panther. Other items on his to do list include compensation for victims of a mid 20th century sterilization program - an issue that he supported as a candidate - and he must manage how to implement The Affordable Care Act. Other topics include how he will handle traditional east/west NC relations in terms of roads, infrastructure, etc. We'll meet with our usual band of Political Science gurus to gaze into our new Governor's first 100 days in office, when Charlotte Talks.

We have discussed climate change many times on Charlotte Talks but there is a new science emerging in the study of our changing climate. Social scientists are being called upon more and more to study climate's effect on human culture. Entire societies are changing their traditions, the media is covering the issue differently and lawmakers are shaping policy based on our perception to climate change. One local social scientist has discovered fascinating social changes among native Alaskans. He'll share how those changes could affect policy here in our own region. (Note: This show was pre-recorded last week.)