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Articles by Amy Chiou
#VoteLocalCLT: A primer on Charlotte’s September 15th primary election
By Amy Chiou | August 5, 2015 Views: This fall, we will elect a new mayor and city council for the city of Charlotte. The general election is Tuesday, November 3rd, but the more important election is actually the primary election on Tuesday, September 15th. The primary election, when we determine which candidate will represent their political party in the general election, typically determines who will be elected.
#VoteLocalCLT: Two races to watch in Charlotte’s September primary election
By Amy Chiou | August 10, 2015 Views: On September 15th, Charlotte will hold a primary election to determine which candidates will represent their political party in the November 3rd general election. Here’s a primer on what primary elections are, how to register, which offices are up for election, and who’s running (read primer story). There are two races in particular that I will be watching closely – the Democratic mayoral primary and the Democratic primary for District 3. Here’s why.
The world is changing quickly; try to keep up
Fifteen years ago, no one had an iPhone, politicians didn’t tweet their thoughts, and high school students worried about what they would wear to school, not whether they would survive the day. In some ways, the world is changing faster than ever. We can order almost anything on demand. We make payments with our smart phones and watches. A single tweet can start a revolution. Yet, in so many other ways, the world is not changing fast enough.
Charlotte needs to fail -- in a good way
Charlotte is “failure deprived.” It’s a term coined by Harvard and Stanford to describe students who, although outstanding on paper, seem stuck. Charlotte is highly ranked on many “best places to live” lists and by most common metrics is a great place to live. We have multiple sports teams, plenty of art and culture, decent cost of living and beautiful weather.
3 things the NRA can teach progressive organizations
In the midst of the Parkland, Fla., shooting coverage, I learned that membership benefits of the National Rifle Association include travel discounts. I felt a twinge of jealousy and wondered, “what else don’t I know about the NRA?” As a distraction from reading about another round of thoughts and prayers, I decided to learn more about the NRA. I still don’t agree with its interpretation of the Second Amendment and find the messaging difficult to stomach, but it was time well spent.
Why is Charlotte trying to be 'world class?' Let's try to be a decent city instead
Lately, it feels as though Charlotte is experiencing a mid-life crisis. There’s a malaise creeping across the city as people brace for more of the same. Behind the scenes, people whisper about Amazon HQ2. The shock and embarrassment of not making the company’s top 20 is uncomfortably similar to being ranked last for economic opportunity. We’re questioning who we are now. What does this mean for the future of the city? Have we lost our status as the darling of Southeast cities?
‘World class’ Charlotte? Let’s try to be a decent city instead
Lately, it feels as though Charlotte is experiencing a mid-life crisis. There’s a malaise creeping across the city as people brace for more of the same. Behind the scenes, people whisper about Amazon HQ2. The shock and embarrassment of not making the company’s top 20 is uncomfortably similar to being ranked last for economic opportunity. We’re questioning who we are now. What does this mean for the future of the city? Have we lost our status as the darling of Southeast cities?
Prepare for Charlotte nonprofit leadership turnover | Charlotte Observer
In the next five to 10 years, due to retirement or scandal, we will experience significant turnover in private, public and quasi-public leadership. The new leaders will not look like the old, white men they will replace. As a country, and a city, we are not prepared for this leadership transition, but we can be. After a stunning Golden Globes speech, Twitter lit up with #Oprah2020. The enthusiasm masks a bigger problem – Democrats don’t have a good sense of future leadership options.
Enough with the task forces and committes; we need startups
Next year, I anticipate the announcement of a civic committee and another task force to address social problems like housing, education, etc. There will be a press conference to announce the co-chairs (one corporate, one community, of course), followed by a three- to six- month process of seating the committee with just the “right” people. They will try to keep the committee small.
Democrats looked good in Virginia elections but North Carolina in 2018 is different | Charlotte Observer
Democrats are hopeful after last week’s successful election results in Virginia and elsewhere. But Democrats in North Carolina should exercise cautious optimism. 2018 in North Carolina will be different from 2017 in Virginia in three ways: 1. North Carolina is less Democratic. In 2008, after decades of supporting Republican presidential nominees, both states voted for Barack Obama. However, Virginia also voted for the Democrat in 2012 and 2016, but North Carolina did not.
Am I a person of color? Only because you want to define me
“Do you consider yourself a person of color?” The question catches me off-guard, and I hesitate, searching their face for a clue. What is the source of their confusion? What are they really asking me? Person of color. Minority. These are all terms bounded and burdened by history and geography. When I moved to Charlotte in 2008, one of my earliest observations was that Charlotte was alarmingly, comfortably segregated into black and white communities.
Am I a person of color in black and white Charlotte? | Charlotte Observer
“Do you consider yourself a person of color?” The question catches me off-guard, and I hesitate, searching their face for a clue. What is the source of their confusion? What are they really asking me? Person of color. Minority. These are all terms bounded and burdened by history and geography. When I moved to Charlotte in 2008, one of my earliest observations was that Charlotte was alarmingly, comfortably segregated into black and white communities.
Participation trophies aren't just for kids; leaders get them too
Participation trophies aren’t just for children. For adults, unearned accolades are disguised as promotions, committee appointments and the bestowing of the designation “leader.” Much like participation trophies, promotions, appointments, and winning elections look and feel good. Such opportunities are often pursued for résumés, the professional equivalent of a trophy case. And, like participation trophies, they largely reward showing up.
Not all likes are equal, and we’re not really friends
These days, the value of a political statement or news story is measured by the number of likes and shares. The algorithms of social media are indiscriminate – they do not consider who wrote the story, the source of the story, or how human the owner of the accounts sharing the story is. These algorithms invite and reward clickbait titles. Popularity is tracked and rewarded with prominent placement, thus increasing popularity.
I’m not a Charlotte native. You don’t need to tell me that you are.
I’m not from Charlotte. I’m reminded of that nearly once a week, when someone declares, “I’m a native Charlottean” at a community meeting. After eight years, these words define my time in this city and sum up my complicated feelings about Charlotte. These feelings run the gamut from grateful (for amazing people) to frustrated (because of unrealized opportunities) to isolated (because it still doesn’t feel like home). The first time I heard these words, I was working on a political campaign.
I’m not a Charlotte native. You don’t need to tell me that you are.
I’m not from Charlotte. I’m reminded of that nearly once a week, when someone declares, “I’m a native Charlottean” at a community meeting. After eight years, these words define my time in this city and sum up my complicated feelings about Charlotte. These feelings run the gamut from grateful (for amazing people) to frustrated (because of unrealized opportunities) to isolated (because it’s still doesn’t feel like home). The first time I heard these words, I was working on a political campaign.
Suburban Charlotte turned on Pat McCrory
And became largely responsible for (likely) putting a new person in the governor’s mansion, an Agenda analysis of data from the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections shows. Four years ago, Gov. Pat McCrory — at the time the popular former Charlotte mayor — banked comfortable margins among affluent suburban voters in his race against Democart Walter Dalton. Here’s how the governor map looked in 2012. And here’s how it turned out in 2016.
I started getting texts asking, "What do we do now?" Here's my answer.
Amy Chiou is a community organizer, a campaign volunteer and the executive director of Queen City Forward. I voted for Hillary Clinton. I’m certain most of my friends voted for Hillary Clinton as well. When the election results crystallized last night, I started getting texts asking, “What do we do now? Where do we go from here?” Take a deep breath, and listen. The difference between acting and reacting is understanding. So, let’s listen with open minds and hearts.
6 Agenda pro tips for riding the streetcar
I am fortunate that the streetcar is extremely convenient for me. It runs from the edge of my neighborhood into uptown, almost to the building in which I work. As a result, I ride it just about every day, often twice. If there’s anyone who has ridden the streetcar more times than me, chances are they’ve got “CATS” written on their shirt.
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