Charlotte Blogs

Part One: Afghan Kids Receiving Medical Treatment in Charlotte
We’ll meet a 17 year old Afghan youth who is visiting the Charlotte area to receive medical treatment along with several other Afghan young people. We’ll talk with Zaman Abdul Rashid, and two members of the organization who made his trip possible about some of the typical hardships that Afghan youths face medically and in terms of education. We’ll also hear about the mutual education and understanding about Afghan and American culture that has happened as a result of bringing children here for medical treatment.
Guests
Zaman Abdul Rashid – 17 year old receiving medial treatment in Charlotte
Patsy Wilson – President and Summer Coordinator for Solace for the Children
Carol McKay – Member of the board of directors for Solace for the Children

• Solace for the Children website

Part Two: Erica McGee and Grits: The Musical
Actress and singer Erica McGee got tired of waiting for other people to hire her so she decided to become a one-person theatre company. She has produced her own projects such as A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, Decade DIVA, Jazzy DIVA and now McGee is introducing audiences to her latest project called GRITS: The Musical. It’s based on best-selling author Deborah Ford’s novel Grits: Friends are Forevah. Erica McGee slows down long enough to talk about her latest project.
Guest
Erica McGee – Writer and Star of Grits: The Musical

• Erica McGee’s website
• Grits: The Musical website

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We’ll take an inside look at social media companies Facebook and Twitter through the eyes of the Charlotte Observer’s Jeff Elder. He just returned from a fellowship at Stanford University where he spent time at the companies and met their CEOs. He’s working a new beat at the Observer on social networking. We’ll talk about the business structure of the companies and we’ll talk to a local “tweeter” about how businesses here in Charlotte are profiting from their presence online. See pictures of Jeff’s visit to the Facebook and Twitter headquarters below.
Guests
Jeff Elder – Social networking writer, The Charlotte Observer
Crystal Dempsey – Local “Tweeter” and writer

• Twitter  |  Charlotte Talks |    Jeff Elder |  Crystal Dempsey
• Facebook  |  Charlotte Talks |  Jeff Elder |  Crystal Dempsey
• Read the after-show online chat with our guests

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Billy Graham has become an icon of religious leadership in our country but, according to Steven Miller, author of Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South, Reverend Graham had a profound impact on southern politics as well. Miller chronicles Graham’s rise to power and how it may have brought the Republican party to power in the south. We’ll talk to Miller about his book and about Billy Graham’s life in politics.
Guest
Steven P. Miller – Author, Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South

• Amazon  |  Billy Graham and the Rise of the Republican South

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Part One: The Double Door Inn
The Double Door Inn is a non-descript little club that used to be a hat shop in a former life, but it has become what many folks say is the longest running blues club in America. Musical icons such as Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn and many others have played there and the club has has one owner in its history and the same bartender for over 34 years. We’ll take a closer look at the history of the Double Door Inn.
Guest
Daniel Coston – Co-Author, Home of the Blues: 35 Years of the Double Door Inn

• Double Door Inn website
• WFAE  |  Charlotte’s Blues Club The Double Door Inn turns 35
• Amazon  |  Home of the Blues: 35 Years of the Double Door Inn

Part Two: Local Music and Open Crown Town Showdown
We’ll meet a man who is helping new musical acts find a voice in Charlotte and take a look at a couple of venues in Charlotte that are promoting a lively and ever-growing local music scene.
Guests
Eric Scott Guthrie – Host, Find Your Muse Open Mic
Jeff Hahne – Music Editor, Creative Loafing

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The concept of using innovation in business has gained popularity in this difficult economy. Companies are working to “gain a competitive edge” by being more creative and innovative about the products and services they provide. We’ll talk with local innovation experts about how companies of all sizes- nationally and here in the Charlotte region- are using innovation, and how embracing a more creative and inventive way of doing business may help them survive and thrive in the down economy. Can businesses be “taught” to think creatively? We’ll find out.
Guests
Monty Montague – Co-founder and Design Principal, BOLT Group
Paul Wetenhall – President, Ben Craig Center Business Incubator, UNC Charlotte
Barbara Spradling – Director, Innovation Institute, McColl Center for Visual Art

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The North Carolina legislature has recently passed a bill allowing for comprehensive sex education in our state’s schools. For over a decade, “abstinence until marriage” was the only form of sex-ed in our region. We’ll explore what exactly is taught in sex-ed and how this new legislation will change what is taught in our schools. We’ll try to understand how our kids learn about the birds and the bees.
Guests
Jere Royall – Director of Community Impact and Counsel, NC Family Policy Council
Deann Butler – Field Organizer, NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina
David Gardner – Section Chief for Healthy Schools, NC Dept. of Public Instruction

• Charlotte Observer  |  Sex ed to include more than abstinence

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Guest host Chris Clackum guides us through a look back to the 1967 attack on the USS Liberty by the Israeli Defense Force and the investigation that followed. We’ll hear a first hand account from a Charlotte resident who is a survivor of the attack and from his son who authored a book about the incident, The Attack on the Liberty: The Untold Story of Israel’s Deadly 1967 Assault on a US Spy Ship. We’ll talk about survivor accounts of the attack, what happened in the aftermath, and about why United States and Israeli officials worked to de-emphasize the attack.
Guests
James Scott – Author, The Attack on the Liberty
John Scott – Survivor, damage control engineer aboard the Liberty

• Amazon  |  The Attack on the Liberty by James Scott
• NPR  |  1967 Attack Still Haunts USS Liberty Survivors

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The local food movement continues to grow in our region. Concord author Aaron Newton joins us to talk about this movement and his book A Nation of Farmers. We’re also joined by Christy Shi who runs an organization aimed at bringing local farm food right to the doors of families in our region. We’ll talk about small farms, backyard farms, local food and hear from a doctor about the benefits of local fresh food.
Guests
Aaron Newton – Co-author, A Nation of Farmers
Christy Shi – Owner, Know Your Farms
Dr. Michael Smith – President, Carolinas Natural Health Center

• Slow Food Charlotte
• Amazon  |  A Nation of Farmers by Aaron Newton and Sharon Astyk
• Charlotte Talks  |  From Farm to Fork

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Guest Host Chris Clackum hosts a conversation about Charlotte’s history, including some well-known events you may know, and some you may not have heard about. Long-time Charlotte historian Mary Kratt has just released a new book about the Queen City, Charlotte North Carolina: A Brief History. She joins us for a look back.
Guest
Mary Kratt – Author of Charlotte, North Carolina: A Brief History

• Charlotte Talks  |  A New Historic Charlotte?
• Charlotte Talks  |  Finding Historic Charlotte

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