Communities

Jan 5, 2021

First in Future: Dan Barkin of Business NC

This episode of First in Future we hear from Dan Barkin of Business NC. As the former managing editor of The News & Observer, he has great insight and institutional knowledge about the rapid development of North Carolina, and we hear about his thoughts on broadband, which is a key issue on many minds these days. 

Dec 22, 2020

First in Future: Laura Marx and Anita Barker of the United Way

When the pandemic hit, calls to United Way NC's 211 line for assistance tripled. Now the organization has taken a close look at what is happening to families across the state during the pandemic. No surprise there are a lot of people that are hurting. We talk with Laura Marx and Anita Barker about some of the surprising findings of their new survey and how people across the state can help respond to the needs. 

Dec 8, 2020

First in Future: The Doughnut Hole (part 2) – Page Lemel and Mike Hawkins

North Carolina’s fastest growing group of voters are “unaffiliated.” About 1/3 of those registered don’t register with any party. That should mean that there’s a big group of voters open-minded, and ready to vote on issues, not politics, or for the person vs. the party, or for candidates running closer to the “center." Right? Well, based on the experience of Page Lemel and Mike Hawkins, two long-time elected officials from Transylvania County, maybe not. This is part 2 of our First in Future series “Doughnut Hole: Is NC’s Center Disappearing?” 

Nov 17, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 3) – Zachary Barricklow

This is part three of a three episode series of First in Future, where we focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. In the final part of our special focus on what transforms a place we live into a true community, we talk with Zach Barricklow of Wilkes Community College about the regional approach Wilkes, Ashe and Alleghany counties are taking to build off of their collective assets (especially high speed internet) to hold on to young people, retrain adults and attract new residents to the area. 

Nov 10, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 2) – Dante Pittman

This is part of a three episode series of First in Future, where we want to focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. Small towns everywhere complain about "brain drain", young educated people who move away for college and don't come back. In the second part of our series on what makes the places we live special, we talk with Dante Pittman, who chose to move back home to Wilson, NC, with the help of a new effort called "Lead for North Carolina." And we explore the question: how do we retain and retrain and stop brain drain? 

Nov 3, 2020

First in Future: The Ties That Bind Us (part 1) – Caroline Parker

This is part of a three episode series of First in Future, where we want to focus on community, specifically what people and places in North Carolina are doing to make the places we live special. This episode starts with the story of Hayesville, NC, in the far western corner of the state, and we talk with Caroline Parker of Education NC about her new series, "Anchored in Hayesville," about how the people in that community are working together to maintain their uniqueness and strength in a town that is "two hours from everywhere." 

Sep 15, 2020

First in Future: Sarah Hall

myFutureNC looked at NC’s future economy and came to the conclusion that to meet the needs of the future. This episode features IEI Senior Policy and Program Manager Sarah Hall, who’s been has been looking at this issue. 

Sep 8, 2020

First in Future: Dr. Rupert Nacoste

This First in Future episode features Dr. Rupert Nacoste, author of the new book "To Live Woke: Thoughts to Carry in Our Struggle to Save the Soul of America". Dr. Nacoste is a native of Louisiana, but for the past 32 years has been a professor of psychology at NC State. Dr. Nacoste’s research and public service efforts have focused on developing a systematic understanding of the social psychology of social change, and using that scholarly understanding to help people manage the social changes that are influencing their everyday lives. 

Jul 29, 2020

Racial Equity in Criminal Justice

Summary: Leslie Boney, the Director of the Institute for Emerging Issues, hosts a special virtual conversations discussing “Racial Equity in Criminal Justice” with guests Justice Anita Earls and Attorney General… 

Jun 23, 2020

First in Future: Rev. James White on Juneteenth

Summary: Juneteenth or sometimes called Freedom Day, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June…