Friday evening I experienced something I’d only experienced but one time before. Dinner at the home of Charlie and Ruth Jones. Sure, you can have dinner at a lot of homes, but dinner at this home is a lot different. You ascend the steps to their top floor apartment. At the top, you are greeted with lots of warmth and the sight of a massively long table, always set to a different theme. You mingle and then you sit down and then you chat with people you may have seen in passing, but now know a lot more about, encouraged by a prayer by the hosts to lay down all your pretensions and esteem your seatmate better than oneself. To love for a few minutes, maybe just a little bit better than you loved before you came in. Oh, and to share a part of yourself on the stage in the parlor room after your bellies are full with the wonderful physical food that was shared, and listen to more spiritual food shared by others.
And in this spirit, this month here on the blog, we will be focusing on love, as well as the history of my people, as many of us do for this month. Each week, there will be an essay on some form of love for the places we live. I invite you to share your love stories of where you live too. I’ll also be reposting some of my Black History Month content and I invite you, if you have a special story about the black experience and place, please feel free to share it. Email me at the email above or if you are reading this in your email, reply back to it with your stories. Throughout the month, I’ll share them in this section of Placebook.
And with a mighty Go Seahawks,the news:
North Carolina News Round-Up
Tuesday night’s Greensboro City Council agenda.
These two Greensboro notables could have disappeared and given up on their life’s mission when their terms/jobs ended on Election Day. Yet, they take to Stephanie’s and have a conversation together, showing the power of many and many more second acts to come.
New mixed-use development set to start soon near NewBridge Bank Park in downtown, which will be anchored by another hotel.
The head of the Greensboro Economic Development Alliance defends his record.
People in Burlington were not hurt, but not notified of a major sewage spill in the Haw River last week.
Can we really compare Greensboro and Winston-Salem on economic measures? The News & Record makes an attempt. From what I can see both cities having winning times and losing times.
Guilford County School Board issues a resolution against ending teacher tenure.
The state of North Carolina’s HBCU’s.
The uncovered story of a Buffalo Soldier with roots and connections to Greensboro.
U.S. and World News Round-Up
NPR has a great report on the impact of crack on DC. It’s latest struggle with public housing and gentrification.
California’s State Water Project will not deliver water for the first time in its history due to the drought.
Fellow Streetsblogger Alex Ihnen just published a study on Millennials in St. Louis and makes the case for retaining them.
Thoughts on the concept of jaywalking. There’s a science to all foot traffic too and it helps us design cities better.