Triad Today

Jesse Louis Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but folks in these parts claim him as a native son because he graduated from N.C. A&T State University. In fact, Jackson will tell you that he found himself at A&T, where he was a star football player, student body president, and leader of a movement to integrate public facilities and businesses in Greensboro.

Jackson went to work with Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 and, in 1967, took over the Chicago-based “Operation Bread Basket,” where he was successful in persuading area companies to hire minorities. He became an ordained minister following Dr. King’s assassination, then founded Operation P.U.S.H. (People United to Serve Humanity) in 1971. He organized the Rainbow Coalition in 1984, and merged the two groups in 1996. Rev. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and again in 1988 (winning an astounding 13 primaries that year), and over the years, he has been instrumental in freeing scores of hostages from foreign adversaries.

For the better part of seven decades, Jackson used his voice to speak for underrepresented populations and to advocate for improved access to healthcare and employment. He also opened doors for people of color to run for and win elected office. Affected by the ravages of Parkinson’s over the past 10 years, Jackson’s voice grew softer, but there was still power in his words. Jesse Jackson passed away in the early morning of February 17. He was 84 years old.

In May of 2018, I had the honor and privilege to spend time with Rev. Jackson when he appeared on my Triad Today television show. He was in Greensboro to deliver the baccalaureate address at Bennett College, a contingent from which filled the ABC45 studio to watch our interview being recorded. On that day, Rev. Jackson was greeted like a rock star by a large, enthusiastic, and mostly female studio audience. He stopped to shake hands and have photos taken with everyone, and gave my wife Pam a big hug before ascending to the stage. I asked him, “What IS it with you and women?” “We have an understanding,” he replied with a smile.

Jackson was 76 years old then, and Parkinson’s had slowed his stride and softened his once booming voice, but his words were still filled with the fervor of a man on a mission of economic empowerment and racial unity. During our 25-minute conversation, Rev. Jackson talked about his early days at A&T, working with Dr. King, his two runs for the presidency, gun violence, racial profiling, social media, and Donald Trump. Here are some highlights.

 

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JL: You played football, baseball, and basketball in high school. Which was your favorite?

JJ: Football ultimately because that’s how I got my scholarship.

JL: But which sport were you better at?

JJ: Maybe baseball, but football was my meal ticket.

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JL: Everyone knows about the Greensboro Four who staged the first lunch counter sit-in, but folks forget that it was you who organized “wade-ins” at all-white swimming pools, “watch-ins” at segregated movie theatres, and more.

JJ: The real deal was when the four brothers made that gallant step, but then the Bennett women sustained it. They showed the strength and courage to follow through.

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JL: Dr. King was sort of like a father to you. What did you learn from him?

JJ: Strong minds bring strong change. You have to study diligently and study every day, and pray fervently, and have the courage of your convictions.

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JL: You did well in the 1984 and 1988 primaries, but didn’t win the nomination. Why didn’t you run as an independent?

JJ: I was trying to honor the system. We wanted to expand the base of Democrats at that time. One of my concerns then and now is that people must run for change, not just run for themselves.

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A special edition of Triad Today with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, airs this Sunday night at 8 o’clock, on MY48 (cable channel 15).

 
 

For the fourth time in the past 10 years, Greensboro is looking for a new police chief, and for the fourth time in a row, the city has hired the same company to help find a replacement. That company is Chapel Hill based Developmental Associates and their services in conducting a national talent search don’t come cheap. But here’s the rub. Every time Greensboro calls on Developmental Associates to search far and wide for a new police chief, the city ends up tapping someone from within the GPD’s own ranks to lead the department. Wayne Scott was chosen for the top spot in 2015, Brian James in 2020, and John Thompson in 2022, and all three were long-time GPD veterans. I happen to have agreed with those hiring decisions, but we didn’t need to pay a search firm to tell us what we already knew.

So here we go again. Chief John Thompson is retiring, and Developmental Associates is going to collect a huge fee for conducting a national search for his successor. That would be OK with me if Thompson had fostered an atmosphere of corruption or discontent within the GPD, necessitating that the city seek new leadership from the outside. But Thompson has been an exemplary chief who nurtured effective leadership skills in those under his command, including Stephanie Mardis.

Mardis joined the GPD 24 years ago and was promoted to assistant chief in 2023. I first met Stephanie when she appeared on my Triad Today show back in March 2024, and it only took me a few minutes to realize that she would one day make a fine chief of police. What follows are excerpts from our conversation.

 

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JL: Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in law enforcement?

SM: My father was one of the first African American police officers in Tampa, Fla., and my mom was a nurse at the Hillsborough County jail. I originally wanted to pursue a career in medicine, so I was a biology/chemistry major at Bennett College. I think the foundation of growing up in a family of public servants was a good role model, so I knew I wanted to do something impactful once I graduated. That’s when I decided to apply to the Greensboro Police Department, and I’ve been here since 2002.

JL: Not long ago we went through civil unrest following the George Floyd tragedy, and police departments across the country saw a decline in folks wanting to go into law enforcement. How are things now?

SM: We have made progress with our recruiting and retention. We recently had 36 recruits attend our academy, and of those 36, 27% were female.

JL: Is that related to the “30 by 30” pledge?

SM: Yes. Law enforcement agencies across the nation are striving to have 30% of their force comprised of women by the year 2030. Right now, the Greensboro Police Department is above the national average, which is 12% female. We’re already at 20%.

JL: Why is that initiative so important?    

SM: Representation matters in every aspect of society, and it shows progress when you have a law enforcement agency that is a reflection of the community it serves. Greensboro is a vibrant culture with rich history, so it fosters trust and partnership when we have a police department that actually reflects the population.

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As I said, Stephanie Mardis will make a great chief of police someday. As far as I’m concerned, that day has come.

 
 

There’s no doubt that our nation is ruled by elites, but then, it always has been. The founding fathers were all highly educated men with (pardon the expression) revolutionary ideals, but they also believed that only landowners should have the right to vote and hold office. Today, that way of thinking would disenfranchise tens of millions of people who pay rent instead of a mortgage. Still, there should be some criteria for being able to participate in the political process. As it stands now, there are only a few restrictions on voting privileges, among them: you must be registered, you must be a citizen, you must not be a felon, and you must have voted in a recent election. The problem is that these criteria have everything to do with procedure and nothing to do with competence.

To that point, Georgetown University professor Jason Brennan believes that most voters are ignorant, biased, and misinformed. His solution is for our democracy to operate as an “epistocracy” whereby the right to vote is conditional on knowledge. Brennan suggests we establish some type of national competency exam to determine whether an individual is capable of casting an informed vote. Under his proposal, we could either use the United States citizenship test, or develop something new, so long as it is drafted in a non-partisan manner and not based on the ideologies of any one political party or group. It’s a sound approach, and one that party hacks in Georgia should have heeded.

Not long ago, the Republican Party of Catoosa County, Georgia, required all potential GOP candidates to answer a series of ideological questions in order to get on the ballot under the party banner. However, candidates whose responses were rejected by party leaders and who were kept off the ballot as a result ended up suing the county. The rejected candidates prevailed, the GOP paid hefty fines, and their loyalty test was scrapped. Today, political parties require candidates to sign a loyalty oath, but that doesn’t ensure a competent slate of candidates, just as registering to vote doesn’t ensure a competent electorate, and that brings me back to the concept of a national voting license.

According to a survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, only one in three Americans would be able to pass the U.S. citizenship test, and according to goodparty.org, “Americans can’t even pass a standard civics test” adding, “Voter education is not just an accessory to the democratic process, but rather the cornerstone upon which a thriving democracy is built.”

Voter ignorance wasn’t much of a problem a hundred years ago because civics education was required at every grade level. The Heritage Foundation recalls a textbook from 1928, which stated that civics classes “strive to develop character in the student and produce an effective citizen.” Today, 30 states require only one semester of civics in order to graduate high school, while 11 states require no civics at all. Only nine states require a full year of civics in order to graduate. Clearly, we need to do a better job of teaching students how to understand and navigate our system of government, but until then, we shouldn’t be content to let millions of uninformed voters determine the outcome of local, State, and federal elections. That’s why every state should require its citizens to pass a basic knowledge exam before being issued a voting license, which, like DMV licenses, would have to be renewed periodically.

I don’t want to be on the highway next to someone who is unqualified to drive, and I don’t want to be at the polls next to someone who is too uninformed to vote. Both scenarios have dangerous consequences.

 
 

If a local, publicly owned industry were to misspend and lose $46 million, putting over 300 people out of work, there are several important things that we expect would happen. First, we expect debts to be paid and the losses to be recovered. Second, we expect that the lost jobs will be restored. Third, we expect the company to enact necessary reforms to prevent future debacles. Fourth, we expect the company to do all it can to rebuild the public trust. And finally, WE EXPECT ANYONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS TO BE PUNISHED!!!

I am, of course, referring to the largest publicly-owned industry in our community—the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, and the devastating financial crisis its leadership caused. Yes, there are folks who say, “It’s time to move on.” “It’s time to put those troubles behind us and focus on the future.” The problem is that it’s nearly impossible to move on without closure, and we can’t have that unless and until the guilty parties are brought to account.

Last spring, it was discovered that WS/FCS CFO Tommy Kranz had, over a period of several years, misappropriated and misapplied local, state, and federal funds, leaving the schools in a $46 million hole. That left us unable to pay employees and vendors, or to reimburse the county for SROs and other services. It even left us unable to pay the interest on what we owed to the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. Kranz suddenly retired and got the hell out of Dodge. So did Superintendent Tricia McManus. It was an easy departure for the duo because neither had deep ties to the Triad. McManus kept her permanent residence in Florida while working here, and Kranz had come here from Virginia, where, according to the Richmond Free Press, he had engaged in the same kind of behavior that would repeat itself in Winston-Salem. More on that in a moment.

By late last year, auditors and local prosecutors concluded that no crime had been committed, but they were wrong. True enough, there is no evidence to suggest that Kranz, McManus, or members of the school board profited financially from the multi-million-dollar mess. Nevertheless, according to state law, misappropriation of public funds still falls under the category of embezzlement. The truth is that Kranz deliberately moved funds around in an illegal fashion and caused irreparable harm to over 300 families and to the community at large. The other hard truth is that neither McManus nor the school board bothered to do a deep dive on Kranz’s record in Richmond, Virginia where he had served as CFO and interim superintendent, and where (according to the Richmond Free Press) he kept $8.3 million in a secret “unassigned fund balance” while asking city council to pony up an additional $16 million to make up for budget shortfalls. At the same time, he paid a friend $24,000 for two months of consulting work even though that man was still under investigation by Maryland authorities. When all of this finally came to light, Kranz was fired. Had McManus and the board done their due diligence, Kranz would have never been hired in the first place.

Our community is fortunate to have organizations like the Winston-Salem Foundation and companies like Modern Auto, which stepped up with major donations to help erase the school’s debts and lend a hand to teachers. And we look forward to newly-appointed superintendent Don Phipps taking on the task of reform. He has a sterling reputation and a track record to suggest that he can restore the WS/FCS to a level of performance that we haven’t seen since the days of Dr. Don Martin, who led the schools for 19 unsullied years.

And yet, there’s still the matter of closure. Kranz was incompetent, and McManus was a very compassionate and trusting individual who allowed Kranz to operate in a vacuum. Their shortcomings were dissimilar to be sure, but together they perpetrated an unprecedented crime on our community. They should both be held to account for the damage they caused. Then and only then can we put this ugly chapter behind us and be assured that it will never happen again.

 
 

Hall of Fame baseball player Johnny Bench once told me that you’re never too old to have heroes. One of mine is Barbara Johns, and I’m proud to say that as of last month, a bronze sculpture of her stands in the U.S. Capitol, replacing a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, and representing the state of Virginia.

Barbara Johns wasn’t just a participant in the Civil Rights Movement, she triggered it. Barbara made her mark before Rosa Parks boarded a bus, before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. marched, and before the Greensboro Four sat at the lunch counter. Barbara led a national movement for equality, and she did it at the ripe old age of 16.

In 1951, Barbara Johns was a junior at Moton High, an all-Black school in the Prince Edward County Virginia town of Farmville. She was an exemplary student who enjoyed English, history, French, and music, and was a member of the debate team. Barbara was mature beyond her years and had a sense of social justice that was inspired by her uncle, The Rev. Vernon Johns, who, at the time, was pastor of Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala. (he would be succeeded in that role by Dr. King in 1952).

Built in 1939, Moton was a small brick structure designed to hold 180 students, but by 1951, over 450 children were crammed into the school. Not only was the building overcrowded, it was also woefully inadequate for learning. There was no library, no cafeteria, no gym, and no science lab. To alleviate the overflow of students, the Prince Edward school board had several tar paper shacks erected adjacent to the main building. On rainy days, water poured through the leaky roofs, and on cold days, students had to make do with a small stove. The stove was riddled with holes, and hot coals would often pop out onto the floor. By contrast, just down the road stood the all-white high school, which had the best of everything. In those days, the concept of separate but equal was a cruel joke. Schools were separated by race for sure, but they were sure as hell not equal.

Fittingly, the base of the new statue is engraved with this quote from young Ms. Johns, “Are we going to just accept these conditions, or are we going to do something about it?” Well, Barbara did something about it. More on that in a moment.

I began researching the Moton school saga nearly 30 years ago. Barbara had passed away by then, but I connected with some of her family and friends and was able to get a copy of Barbara’s unfinished manuscript soon after it was discovered in 1999. In it, Barbara wrote of the long walks she would take in the woods, contemplating the conditions of her school and of her dreams for a better one.

“I imagined that a great storm came through and blew down the main building and splattered the shacks to splinters, and out of this wreckage was a magnificent building, and the students were joyous. Then the reality would set in, and I would acknowledge that nothing magical was going to produce a new school. I prayed to God, ‘Please let us have a new place where we won’t have to keep our coats on all day to stay warm. God, please help us. We are your children, too.’”

Barbara then wrote about a defining incident that convinced her to take action.

“One morning I was rushing around helping my brother and sister get down the hill to catch the bus, but I had forgot my lunch. I ran back up the hill to retrieve it, but in the meantime the bus had left. Later, the white school bus drove by. It was half empty and would have to drive past my school to get to the white school, but they wouldn’t let me ride with them. Right then and there I decided something had to be done about this inequality.”

The action Barbara took would help trigger a national movement to provide an equal education for all students. On April 23, 1951, she enacted a carefully devised plan. First, she got the school principal out of the building on a ruse, then she enlisted the aid of seven other students to deliver bogus notes to every teacher, advising them to have their students assemble in the auditorium. Barbara then addressed the student body and convinced them to stage a walkout. On the second day of the strike, Johns and a large group of students marched to the superintendent’s office, where Barbara asked why Black students couldn’t just attend school with whites. The superintendent said that integration was against Virginia law, but promised that a new school was in the works for the Moton students. He lied about the new school. Even worse, he punished the protesting students by taking all of their buses out of commission. The strike lasted for two weeks, during which time Barbara received death threats.

Barbara wrote to the NAACP and asked for help. Soon after, two attorneys arrived in Farmville to meet with Barbara and other student leaders. Eventually, their case was folded into Brown v. Board of Education, and by 1959, Prince Edward County schools were ordered to desegregate. But the racist county school board refused to comply, and they got around the law by closing all of their public schools, then opened a make-shift private academy just for the white students to attend. Black students in the area became known as The Lost Generation because they were without a school for five years. Finally, in 1964, all public schools in Farmville were reopened when the Supreme Court ruled that Prince Edward’s racist scheme violated the 14th Amendment by denying Black students equal protection under the law. Still, it would be another 20 years before the county’s schools were fully integrated. Nevertheless, the state of public education had changed forever, and, in large part, we all have a 16-year-old girl to thank for it.

Barbara Johns was a visionary and an activist, and if there was a Mt. Rushmore of Civil Rights leaders, she would be on it. For now, we’ll settle for having her likeness in the nation’s Capitol.  

(The original Moton school has since been restored and today serves as a museum and a venue for community events. For more information or to make a donation, visit MotonMuseum.org).

 
 

As we celebrate this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who are suffering, and could benefit from our love and generosity. Over the past two decades, I’ve been able to showcase scores of community organizations on my Triad Today television show, and in the process, I’ve learned that there are several ways we can help these agencies help others. The first is to donate goods. Second is to donate money. And, third is to donate our time. Of course, some nonprofit groups can benefit from all three types of giving. Here, in no particular order, are just a few organizations to which you might lend your support.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC: Even prior to the pandemic, the Piedmont Triad had one of the worst food insecurity problems in the nation, and that included the problem of childhood hunger. Now, with thousands more of our neighbors in need, the problem has worsened, including for children. To help alleviate the hunger problem, Second Harvest Food Bank has stepped up its efforts to distribute food to nonprofit agencies who feed hungry people in an 18-county area. The Food Bank has also partnered with a number of area companies to provide meals for kids. You can write a check directly to the food bank, or you can drop off non-perishable food items at a number of locations in our area. For more information call 336-784-5770, or visit SecondHarvestNWNC.org.

Cancer Services, Inc.’s stated mission is “to enhance quality of life for those living with cancer, and to provide the gift of life through education.” Their services include patient advocacy, financial assistance, providing equipment and supplies, offering peer support groups, and much more. Ninety percent of funds donated to Cancer Services, Inc. goes directly to providing client services. In addition to money, you can also donate used equipment and supplies. Call 336-760-9983, or visit CancerServicesOnline.org.

Greensboro Urban Ministry is on the front lines when it comes to providing emergency assistance. Greensboro Urban Ministry provides homeless families in Guilford County with a safe, temporary environment. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve meals, manage shelters, tutor children, and perform a variety of other duties. Monetary donations are also much appreciated. Call 336-271-5959, or visit GreensboroUrbanMinistry.org.

Mountain Valley Hospice is a nonprofit agency that serves an 18-county area in North Carolina and Virginia, and provides personalized care for patients at the end of life, as well as comfort to families. Mountain Valley Hospice has offices throughout the region, and operates two hospice homes. They also specialize in care for terminally ill children and veterans, and offer grief support for kids and adults. To give money or inquire about volunteering, call 1-888 789-2922, or visit MtnValleyHospice.org.

The Petty Family Foundation: NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his family support a number of charitable organizations including Paralyzed Veterans of America and Victory Junction Camp, the latter of which provides an uplifting experience for children with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses. To make a donation or learn more, visit PettyFamilyFoundation.org.

Shift_ed provides qualified students with college scholarships and much more. Shift_ed also provides students with support services that are designed to help them be successful in life. Their equity-based program begins in kindergarten and includes everything from tutoring to career counseling. Shift_ed relies in part upon donations from companies and individuals. To learn more about scholarships, or to make a donation, visit Shift-ed.org.

Carolina Donor Services and Red Cross… There can be no greater gift this holiday season than the gift of life, and that’s why you might consider donating blood and signing a donor card. Either gesture requires only a few minutes of your time, and will almost certainly result in saving someone’s life in the future. You can reach Carolina Donor Services at 1-800 200-2672, or CarolinaDonorServices.org. You can call the Red Cross at 336-333-2111, or visit them online at RedCross.org.

Please remember that your donations of time, money, or goods to area community organizations are vitally important, not just now, but throughout the coming year. It’s also a way for us to expand the circle of people we care about, and that’s something worth celebrating in this season of giving.

 
 

On June 19, 2009, I had the honor of producing and hosting “A Father’s Day Salute to TV Dads” at the Television Academy’s Leonard Goldenson Theatre in Los Angeles.

Aside from the Emmys and the Television Hall of Fame awards, it was the largest gathering of stars for any academy event and the highlight of my broadcasting career.

On that special evening, I gathered together nine iconic TV dads to discuss their lives and careers. Panelists included Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Patrick Duffy (Dallas), Michael Gross (Family Ties), Stephen Collins (7th Heaven), Reggie Vel Johnson (Family Matters), the late great Dick Van Patten (Eight is Enough), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), and my friend Bill Paxton (Big Love) who sadly would only see seven more Father’s Days. But the undisputed star of the evening was Dick Van Dyke who played a Dad on two hit series, The Dick Van Dyke Show and Diagnosis Murder, and who I introduced as being 84 years old. “I’m only 83,” he jokingly corrected me. Sixteen years later, he would publish his eighth book, 100 Rules for Living to 100, and this Saturday he will realize the milestone of which he wrote.

Dick was born Richard Wayne Van Dyke on Dec. 13, 1925, in West Plains, Mo. to Hazel, a stenographer, and Loren, who was a traveling salesman. While still in high school, Dick worked part-time at a radio station in Danville, Ill., then left before graduation to enlist in the Air Force. After the war, he formed a comedy team called the Merry Mutes, but struggled financially. He served a short stint as host of the CBS morning show in New York before working on the stage and eventually landing a starring role in Bye Bye Birdie, for which he won a Tony award. That landed him the same role in the film version as well as a string of successes on television beginning with The Dick Van Dyke Show, for which he won three Emmys. He would go on to win three more, the last of which came in 2023 at the age of 97. His role as Bert in 1964’s Mary Poppins made Dick an international film star and cemented his reputation as a bankable performer in all genres whose talents remained in constant demand throughout his life. What follows are highlights from my conversation with Dick during our TV dads event.

 

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Jim: On The Dick Van Dyke Show, Rob and Laura slept in separate beds. Did they ever fool around?

Dick: Of course. It was implied. We had a kid didn’t we? [laughs]

Jim: How did you learn about the facts of life?

Dick: Well, I didn’t know what puberty was until I was almost past it. But I learned a lot about sex from the Sears and Roebuck catalog.

Jim: I thought that was a hardware magazine.

Dick: Not in those days. Actually, though my wife taught me most of what I know.

Jim: Dick I understand that your dad’s nickname was “Cookie” because he worked for the Sunshine Biscuit company.

Dick: How’d you know that?

Jim: ’Cause I did my homework. Tell me about him.

Dick: He was a traveling salesman, so he was only home on weekends. My association was mainly with my mother because Dad was very distant. But I grew up during the Depression, and times were really tough. We were constantly in debt and worried about money. I was 4 years old when the stock market crashed, and I lost everything [audience laughs]. But my dad’s saving grace was that he had a great sense of humor about his condition in life and about himself, and I can remember laughing until I had tears in my eyes. My mother was the same way, and they could both laugh about their poverty. My brother Jerry and I have often talked about it because we didn’t know we were poor. We had a wonderful childhood, I think much better than kids today, because we weren’t micromanaged. Our summer vacation was ours, and we did what we wanted to. Those were great days.

Jim: I read somewhere that your first acting role was when you were 4 years old, and you played the baby Jesus.

Dick: That’s right, and I got laughs [laughter].

Jim: What was your first paid acting job?

Dick: I loved magic as a child, and at age 12, I was doing Kiwanis Club luncheons and things like that for $3. So, I liked performing right from the beginning. In high school, I was in all the shows, and I never really thought it was a chance to be in show business; I just loved it so much, but I got all the breaks.

Jim: I heard that when filming the pilot for The Dick Van Dyke Show, you sweated through six dress shirts because you were uptight.

Dick: Yeah, but not only that. I was doing Bye Bye Birdie on Broadway, and they gave me a week off to film the pilot and I was so nervous, and it meant so much to me that I developed five fever blisters on my mouth, and I had to kiss Mary Tyler Moore like that [he cringes].

Jim: When you start any new project do you still get butterflies?

Dick: No, these days I just have a wonderful time. All the nerves stopped years ago because I did a lot of stuff that I had never done before. I auditioned for Bye Bye Birdie for Gower Champion when I couldn’t even sing and dance, so I got up and did a little soft-shoe, singing “Once in Love with Amy,” and they gave me the job. And I thought, “Oh great. Now I gotta learn how to sing and dance.” [laughs].

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As we wrapped up our discussion, I asked each panelist to name their favorite TV dad, and Bryan Cranston spoke for everyone, saying, “When I first started to work on Malcolm in the Middle, I really didn’t know where my character was going, but I knew all I had to do is look to my hero Dick Van Dyke. I adore you. You know that. You have always been my idol and every stitch of comedy that I’ve ever attained has come from you [audience applauds and they shake hands]. I also owe you a lot of commission money, by the way.”

At the end of the event, I summoned co-stars and family members to come up on stage and say a few words about the TV dads, then I pressed Dick into service to perform with his quartet, Dick Van Dyke and the Vantastix. Not surprisingly, they garnered an enthusiastic standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

A few weeks ago, Dick graced the cover of PEOPLE magazine, proclaiming, “I’m having the time of my life!” I felt the same way, being able to work with Dick on that memorable summer evening 16 years ago. Happy 100th birthday to everyone’s favorite TV dad.

 
 

Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I’m not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinsky, or George H.W. Bush not knowing what a bar code was. I’m talking about John Kennedy, and how he misread history, unintentionally insulted the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was compelled to make amends.

The story begins on Wednesday December 4, 1619. That’s the day 38 English settlers from the London Company navigated their ship down the James River and onto Berkeley Hundred (Harrison’s Landing), in what is now Charles City, Virginia, just 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, which had been settled 12 years prior. The landing party was led by Captain John Woodlief, who, as prescribed in the company charter, ordered a day of Thanksgiving to be observed upon their arrival, and every December 4th thereafter.

Over time, Berkeley became known for its historic firsts. The first bourbon whiskey was made there in 1621 (by a preacher, no less). “Taps” was played for the first time while the Union army was encamped at Berkeley in 1862. And, of course, it was the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. More on that in a moment.

In 1907 Berkeley was purchased by John Jamieson, who had served as a Union drummer boy during the army’s encampment at the plantation. Ownership later fell to his son (and my friend) Malcolm, who passed away in 1997. Mac loved Berkeley and was aggressive in marketing the historic site, including through the use of promotional videos and commercials which I helped to produce. He invited the public to tour the house and grounds, sold Berkeley boxwoods and bourbon, and held an annual Thanksgiving pageant which attracted tourists from across the country. But the celebration wasn’t always widely recognized.

One hundred years after his father beat the Yankee drums at Berkeley, Mac was upset by something another Yankee did. In the fall of 1962, President Kennedy issued his yearly Thanksgiving Proclamation in which he recognized his home state of Massachusetts as the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. And so, on November 9th of that year, Virginia state Senator John Wicker was prompted by Mac to write to the President, and point out Kennedy’s faux pas. In his telegram, Wicker referenced historical records about Berkeley’s celebration, which took place one full year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620.

Later that year, Kennedy’s confidant, and noted historian, Arthur Schlesinger sent a reply to Wicker with a tongue-in-cheek apology from the President. According to Berkeley records, Schlesinger “attributed the error to unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”

The following year, on November 5, 1963, President Kennedy had to eat crow during his annual Thanksgiving proclamation, saying, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Massachusetts, far from home, in a lonely wilderness, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” Kennedy’s New England bias wouldn’t allow him to disavow Plymouth entirely, but Mac was happy that Berkeley finally gained official recognition for holding the first Thanksgiving, even if it was a shared honor. Sadly, it was to be Kennedy’s last proclamation. He was assassinated seventeen days later in Dallas.

The holiday season is now upon us, and that means gathering together with friends and family to share food, gifts, and goodwill. And, despite the personal and financial losses we might have endured over the past year, we will find a way to give thanks for what we have and who we’re with. Perhaps we would also do well to emulate those weary English settlers, and just be thankful for surviving another day of our long journey. So, here’s a Berkeley bourbon toast to Captain Woodlief, a little drummer boy, old Mac, and to that Yankee president who finally set the record straight.

May God bless, and happy Thanksgiving.
 
 

Hollywood built its reputation on fantasy. Studio bosses, make-up artists, and publicity departments spent tons of money and countless hours making us believe that what we saw on screen was real. We didn’t know that Clark Gable had false teeth, that Bogey wore a toupee, that Rock Hudson was gay, or that Lassie wasn’t a female. But now the tables are starting to turn. Soon, instead of issuing fake news about real actors, publicists will issue real news about fake ones. When that happens, you can blame it all on Tilly Norwood.

Tilly is an artificially generated woman created by Eline van der Velden, who is a producer for Particle6 and its UK-based  Xicoia studios. Tilly, who Xicoia describes as a digital human, had her coming out at the Zurich Film Festival earlier this year, appearing in photos and videos. The AI actress is an amalgamation of countless images and voices, and is a strikingly beautiful young woman with a (sometimes) slight British accent.

Her debut comes on the heels of a campaign by talent unions to fight against unauthorized use of human actors’ voices and likeness. But since Tilly doesn’t look or sound like any one particular actress, then van der Velden and Xicoia can’t be sued, much less stopped from selling Ms. Norwood’s services to film and television companies. Upon seeing Tilly, award-winning actress Emily Blunt told Yahoo Entertainment, “Good Lord, we’re screwed. This is really, really scary.”   

SAG-AFTRA agrees. In a statement issued last month, the organization said, “Our union is opposed to the replacement of human performers by synthetics. [Tilly] has no life experience to draw from, no emotion and, from what we’ve seen, audiences aren’t interested in watching computer-generated content untethered from the human experience…it puts actors out of work, jeopardizing performer livelihoods and devaluing human artistry.”

Hey SAG-AFTRA, you’re exactly 100 years too late to be complaining about artificially generated content. In the 1925 silent film The Lost World (as well as in its 1961 remake), actors appeared alongside stop-motion dinosaurs. By 1973, Westworld became the first film to use CGI with live action. In 1982, Tron featured CGI-created live characters and objects, and in 2009, Avatar was absent of any live actors altogether. Human actors might have complained along the way; nevertheless, they agreed to appear on screen with artificial characters and objects because they were paid well to do so.

There are, of course, advantages to studios for using AI-generated performers like Tilly. For one thing, she will work for less pay than human actors and, as Eline van der Velden said, “She will be endlessly adaptable, always available, and immune to scandal.” It is just a matter of time before Xicoia creates a male version of Tilly, and then you’ll probably hear objections from the likes of Daniel Day Lewis and Tom Cruise. But even then, it is the female artists who will feel most cheated by the AI storm because they were finally making some progress in the equal pay department. Actresses are also better protected now from sexual harassment than ever before, freeing them up to concentrate on the work instead of lodging complaints with HR. But all that progress could be moot if Tilly Norwoods start getting all of the jobs.

For now, though, established stars don’t have much to worry about because audiences aren’t going to prefer Tilly Norwood over Sydney Sweeney. However, in due time, AI-generated performers could be on the same footing with young, up-and-coming actresses, and that’s when the job market for human performers could dry up quickly. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer my film fantasies to be created by real people who act fake instead of the other way around.

 
 

There has been much debate lately about when and how federal troops should be deployed to restore order in cities with high crime rates or where violence is out of control. That’s because National Guard units showed up in Washington, D.C. earlier this year, and the administration is looking to do the same in Portland, Chicago, and other cities. That begs the question: Can we envision a time and circumstance when National Guard troops would ever be sent into the Triad? The answer is “yes,” and in fact it has already happened once before. Here’s the background.

On Oct. 15, 1967, James Eller, an African American father of four, was seen staggering across a street. Mr. Eller made it to the front porch of his house, where several police officers caught up with him and proceeded to arrest him for alleged public drunkenness. According to police, Eller resisted arrest, and the officers tried to subdue him, first by spraying MACE into his eyes. That didn’t work, so Patrolman W.E. Owens struck Eller on the head with a blackjack. It proved to be a fatal blow. Police didn’t release details of Eller’s death until eight days later, and it was another four days after that before Owens was suspended. Eller’s widow swore out a warrant against Owens, which, according to the Winston-Salem Journal, stated that Owens, “feloniously, with premeditation, deliberation, and malice a fore thought, did kill and murder one James Eller.” Judge Leroy Sams dismissed the case, and that ruling triggered riots in downtown Winston-Salem.

Winston-Salem Journal and Twin City Sentinel reporters provided extensive coverage of the riots, which included descriptions of damage to stores along Liberty, North Trade, North Cherry, Claremont, Main, and Fourth Streets. Most of the businesses were looted, then burned. Mobs particularly targeted jewelry and liquor stores, as well as furniture and appliance stores. Fires broke out everywhere, cars were overturned, bricks were tossed, and shots were fired.

Patrolman E.W. Thorpe described the Nov. 2 sniper fire to reporter Eugene White, saying, “Guns were reporting everywhere, and you didn’t know who was shooting at who.” Thorpe’s own patrol car was struck by sniper fire at 13th and Patterson Avenues. His partner, C.E. Crosby, who fought in the Pacific during WWII, described the rioting as a “small scale war.” Said Crosby, “We didn’t know where to take cover when there was shooting. We were afraid we might try to take cover where the shooting was coming from.”

Mobs also set a fire just behind a Reynolds Tobacco factory on Chestnut Street. The fire was burning near a gas tank, and had Thorpe and Crosby not arrived in time to put it out, there probably would be no Innovation Quarter today.

Twin City police chief Cornelius Tucker told his troops to “take things easy on the mob,” but he added, “Pull out the heavy stuff. Don’t use it unless you have to, but display it. But STOP it.” Normally, local National Guardsmen are not called upon to defend their own city, but the 200-man Winston-Salem guard was put on alert.  Meanwhile, Mayor M.C. Benton and Governor Dan Moore deployed National Guardsmen from Mount Airy. Most of them patrolled the streets, while others were given rooftop duty. Two of them, Spec 4 Tommy Hennis and PFC Rodney Cooke, were positioned atop the Robert E. Lee Hotel.

I was 13 years old at the time, and I vividly remember riding to church and seeing armed National Guardsmen positioned on tops of buildings throughout downtown Winston-Salem.

After a couple of days, all that remained of the “small scale war” were charred buildings and debris in the streets. Order had been restored without loss of life.

The events of Oct. 15 and Nov. 2, 1967, taught us a lot about race relations, the criminal justice system, mobs, and the way Winston-Salem dealt with all of them. Officer Owens probably didn’t mean to kill Mr. Eller, but his unnecessary use of force triggered a firestorm nevertheless. Critics of the time said the officers on Eller’s front porch that fateful day should have used handcuffs instead of MACE and nightsticks. The police chief should have gone public within hours of Eller’s death. Judge Sams should have meted out an appropriate punishment for Officer Owens. And the rioters should have stayed home because burning and looting is never an appropriate or effective response to police brutality.

The Winston-Salem police did an admirable job during the riots of 1967, but they couldn’t have restored order without help from the National Guard, proving that there are times when a military presence is absolutely necessary.

Of course, such deployment should always be at the behest of the governor, and in this case, his decision proved to be justified. That was nearly 60 years ago, but we must be ever vigilant when it comes to dealing with the things that often divide us. As then Winston-Salem Journal editor Wallace Carroll wrote, “No city in America is immune from the passions of these days.”

 
 

Too often, we forget that large corporations are composed of individuals who work day-in and day-out to serve their customers and their community. That’s how it is with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and people like Cheryl Parquet. Cheryl, who hails from and still lives in Mebane, is the company’s associate vice president for community engagement. She graduated from UNC Chapel Hill and holds a Certified Diversity and Inclusion Professional Credential from Cornell University. She has over 16 years of experience in community relations, marketing activation, and diversity engagement in the health insurance industry, and was named one of the top 50 women leaders in North Carolina. Cheryl was a recent guest on my Triad Today television show, and what I learned is that she is truly committed to making healthcare better for all. What follows are highlights from our conversation.

 

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Jim: Blue Cross provides healthcare for nearly 4 million North Carolina residents, so what’s your approach to addressing local health challenges?

Cheryl: About two years ago, we took our executives out to visit all 100 counties. We met with community partners, leaders, legislators, and our members, and we had conversations about the challenges that people in our state are facing. And through those conversations, we’ve taken an intentional approach to how we’re changing our products and services, and how we meet the most challenging needs in our community, such as focusing on youth mental health, improving access to healthcare, and promoting health through food.

Jim: Tell me about the Blue Cross mission here in North Carolina.

Cheryl: Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of our customers and communities. It’s a part of our DNA. Our customers are our neighbors. We live, work, and play with them, so we show up each and every day for them. 

Jim: Who or what led you to a career in healthcare?

Cheryl: It was because of my personal experience growing up. I understand about nonprofits because they were there to support me and my family when we needed it. I have an understanding of what the food bank means to so many families. I understand what it means to go to a free clinic and receive services there and how important these safety net organizations are for our community.

Jim: So, what’s most gratifying to you about the work you do for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina through community engagement?

Cheryl: What’s gratifying to me is to be able to meet with so many different people across our state, to understand their needs, and then to be able to go back and have conversations with our community partners and say, “How can we support you to do the work?” At the end of the day, our investments of time and money are there to support our customers and also our community partners, who are the ones on the ground doing the work each and every day.

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For more information, visit BlueCrossNC.com.