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Friday, August 25, 2017
Muslim in Charlotte: Saad Haq
Retaking the narrative
Posted By Lara Americo on Fri, Aug 25, 2017 at 7:00 AM
Last year, CL contributor Lara Americo debuted her photo series "Trans & Queer in the Workplace" in Creative Loafing between August and December. The series was eventually picked up by Huffington Post and served as the basis for Americo's Chrysalis exhibit at C3 Lab. This year, Americo has decided to highlight another marginalized and misunderstood population, the local Muslim population. Every other week, we will be running a photo and some insights from another Muslim Charlottean, as they discuss their work, personal lives and the judgement they often live with.
Saad Haq, 38, lives with his family in Charlotte. In December 2015, he launched Muslim Storytellers, a podcast aimed at telling the stories of everyday Muslims.
Muslim in Charlotte: Saad Haq from Creative Loafing on Vimeo.
“The goal is to take back control of the narrative by telling their own stories ... It seems like our stories are being hijacked by the media and even in TV and movies where we’re being depicted as negative characters or villans where Muslims are not these villains or bad guys. We just want to blend in to society like everybody else is trying to do.
"Fortunately, I haven’t faced any direct acts of Islamophobia but my wife and my daughter have. When we were going to Charleston for vacation we stopped at a gas station to get gas and go to the bathroom. I was waiting in the car with the kids while my wife was coming out, she came to the car and she told me there was a guy in there who told her to go back to her country — to where she came from. This is why I wanted to do Muslim Storytellers, so that I have an outlet, and I can also provide people an outlet where they can use their voice to make a change, to be a positive influence on others.”
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
Listen Up: Blame the Youth on CL's 'Local Vibes' Podcast
Episode 6
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 7:00 AM
It's Pride Week in Charlotte, and we're celebrating with Amber Daniel and Francisco Gomez of Blame the Youth, who will be playing on the main stage at Charlotte Pride this year. We talk about their preparations for that show, existing as a political statement and writing songs about having sex in the woods.
Be sure to check out our iTunes page to download this episode to your phone, subscribe to the podcast, or catch up on past episodes.
Monday, August 21, 2017
Slideshow: Hundreds Rally at Marshall Park Against White Supremacy
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Mon, Aug 21, 2017 at 1:20 PM
More than 600 people showed up to Marshall Park on Saturday, August 19, to pay respects to Heather Heyer and other victims of an attack at the hands of a white supremacist in Charlottesville the previous week.
Activists with Charlotte Uprising organized the event as a call to action against white supremacy, and speakers took turns addressing the large crowd — many of whom held candles as a vigil for Charlottesville victims — about police violence, the prison-industrial complex and strategies for white allies to use to be most effective in the fight against racism.
Below are photos taken that night by news editor Ryan Pitkin:
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Listen Up: Tony Arreaza and Davey Blackburn Talk CLT Latin Music on 'Local Vibes'
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 10:41 AM
Tony Arreaza has been working to cultivate Charlotte's Latin music scene for more than two decades, and he's recently teamed up with local experimental musician Davey Blackburn to spread the music more widely. We chatted it up with the duo about their regular Latin Night in Plaza Midwood event at Snug Harbor, and the recent growth they've witnessed in the local Latin music scene as well as how music and arts can play a big role in today's political climate.
Listen below or check out our iTunes page to catch up with all our past episodes.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Listen Up: LeAnna Eden Strums, Sings and Chats Us Up on 'Local Vibes'
Episode 4
Posted By Ryan Pitkin on Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 10:38 AM
For Episode 4 of Local Vibes, LeAnna Eden of LeAnna Eden and the Garden Of brought her guitar with her and blessed us with a couple of in-studio performances. Also, Mark and Ryan finally get to the bottom of how to say and spell her name, which has been bothering them for some time.
Listen above, or check out our iTunes page for any of the previous episodes.
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Question the Queen City: Who set fire to the nightlife? 3
From 1971 to 1976, 17 nightclubs in Charlotte burned to the ground. Who did it?
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Rango / Gnomeo & Juliet: Tale of two toons
Toon Western triggers a good time for all, but silly Shakespeare spin is solely for the kids.
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Question the Queen City: Hugh McManaway, the man behind the statue
It pays homage to a traffic director, friendly neighbor and one of Charlotte's most beloved local characters
