Happy 2023, Y’all!
In this issue, we’re launching a series called “A Queen New Deal” with policy proposals for Charlotte that will run throughout the year. It’s a phrase I used while helping with a 2019 campaign for the Charlotte City Council, and with the next election for Charlotte Mayor & City Council only 252 days away, I thought I’d bring it back as a platform for what we can do better in the Queen City and the Carolinas.
Look out for more Queen New Deal content as the year goes on, and if you have a policy proposal you’re interested in sharing with us, please email me at sam@yallweekly.com.
Additionally in this issue:
Sarah shares holiday wisdom and visits to two Charlotte staples: Thai Taste and Dilworth Tasting Room.
After watching 56 new films last year, Matt shares his 2022 film superlatives.
Finally, in case you missed any of them, we’ve been counting down our most-read stories of 2022 on Twitter:
Check them out!
Free Stuff
Didn’t get what you wanted for the holidays? Y’all Weekly has you covered. Today we’re giving away, in the following order:
Five copies of Elena Botella’s Delinquent
One $20 Gift Card to Central Coffee Co.
One signed copy of How to be Perfect by Michael Schur, the co-creator of Parks and Recreation and creator of The Good Place
All you have to do is reply to this email! The first 7 Y’all Weekly subscribers to email us at sam@yallweekly.com with the subject line “Free Stuff” will win.
Thanks to Central Coffee & Elena Botella for providing the free gifts!
On The Record
Each week, Y’all Weekly brings you exclusive on-the-record quote from a local leader about a big issue facing Charlotte or the Carolinas. Today’s quote is from Person County Democratic Party Chair Anderson Clayton on why she’s running to be chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party.
The people closest to the pain deserve to be closest to the power, and Democrats across our state have felt powerless for far too long. That’s why I’m running for State Party Chair, because as a longtime political organizer I know how to win and I will fight for what works. We need direct investments in our communities from the bottom up, and a party that speaks to the needs of all North Carolinians.
During my time at Appalachian State University, I registered to vote for the first time as a Democrat because of my local party. This was the first time I recognized the power of local parties and the influential difference they can make in their communities. Since then, I have worked on national, state, and local level campaigns. As Chair of the Person County Democrats, I flipped the Roxboro City Council and flipped a seat in the NC House—one of just two red-to-blue flips in the House in ’22.
Simply put - I’m running for Chair of the NCDP, because I know that local organizing is the foundation to get North Carolina Democrats elected up and down the ballot. I believe in organizing everywhere, particularly in communities our party has historically written off, and that includes investment in year-round staff support and candidate recruitment.
For more information, please check out my website at www.claytonforcarolina.com.
This Week’s Stories
Final Thoughts
The end of the holiday season was filled with tragedy in Charlotte as three construction workers lost their lives and two others were injured on Monday at a East Morehead Street construction site. All three of the deceased are immigrants: José Bonilla Canaca was originally from Honduras, while Jesús “Chuy” Olivares Martínez and Gilberto Monico Fernández were originally from Mexico.
Some of the best reporting about the accident has come from La Noticia and Hola News, two of our local Spanish-language outlets. Both have reported that the families have set up GoFundMe accounts to pay for funeral expenses.
So much construction happens in Charlotte that we forget the very human cost of growth and prosperity. We pass the construction sites - I’ve probably passed this one a thousand times - without thinking of the amazing feats required to build a skyscraper. The city we live in today doesn’t exist without thousands of people like José, Chuy, and Gilberto.
May their memory be a blessing.