A free event focused on empowering “the culture” is coming to the Queen City on April 27. Earn Your Masters, an event designed to inspire and connect local creatives and entrepreneurs, will kick off its three-city tour on Saturday in Charlotte. A collaboration between Ally Financial, Earn Your Leisure, and United Masters, attendees can expect a panel of entrepreneurship experts, performances, music, food, special guests, a pitch competition and more. Earn Your Leisure is a platform that focuses on helping people achieve financial freedom through investment and entrepreneurship, while United M ..read more

Central Piedmont Community College announced recently that it will soon offer a program centered on artificial intelligence. According to a press release sent Tuesday, the college is set to start a new associate degree program in artificial technology later this year, in the fall semester. Why it matters: The use of artificial intelligence is rapidly increasing in society. A 2023 report by Forbes found that more than 70% of the 600 companies surveyed already use or plan to use artificial intelligence in the future. This means there could be more op ..read more

Members of Charlotte City Council approved several construction projects at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, along with approval of several affordable housing developments.  A public hearing was also held to designate Parkwood Avenue Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church as a historical site.  Also read: Local church with contributions to Civil Rights Movement in Charlotte designated as historic landmark Aviation  Several consent items regarding aviation were approved during last night’s meeting.  City council approved contracts for civil engineerin ..read more

City council members approved a recommendation on Monday from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission to designate a local church as a historic landmark. Parkwood Avenue Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, located at 1017 Parkwood Avenue in the city’s District 1, has played a significant role in the Civil Rights Movement in Villa Heights, an early working-class suburb neighborhood on the eastern ridge of the Little Sugar Creek Valley, according to the county’s historic landmarks commission. “Villa Heights developed more as a blue-collar suburb rather than an elit ..read more

A popular halal restaurant is expanding its family-owned business with a brick-and-mortar space in Charlotte.  Halal Street Food is opening a location at Camp North End on April 24. Husband-and-wife founders Khuram Bashir and Damaris Bashir launched the company as a food cart in 2016 and operated daily at the corner of Trade and Tryon Streets in Uptown Charlotte. Halal food refers to a specific way of slaughtering animals to prepare food considered acceptable for the Islamic diet. The company then expanded to its first restaurant, Halal Street Food, located at 4044 Connection Point Boule ..read more

SouthPark has a new resident: a Black-owned furniture store called AFD. The furniture store – which rebranded from Amodernary Furniture Design – is now open at 4425 Sharon Road, Unit M100, in Apex, a shopping area in SouthPark. Carlos Fuller, owner and CEO, told QCity Metro he hopes the store will become the city’s premier choice for modern furniture and home interior design. Inside AFD SouthPark. April 2024. (QCity Metro)Focused on design Fuller, 43, left working in the finance department of automobile sales in 2017 to follow his passion: interior design. When he began searching for options ..read more

North Carolina Senator Graig Meyer wants to make marijuana legalization “a major campaign issue” in this year’s state elections. On Saturday, his campaign released an ad showing two fictional police encounters, each involving the use of illegal weed. In one, a Black user is arrested and taken to jail; in the other, a white user is let go by a police officer and spends the day playing golf. Meyer’s campaign said the “Two Stops” ad achieved “viral success nationally, reaching over 4 million views across platforms.” On Instagram, the ad drew comments and reposts from civil rights attorney Ben Cr ..read more

Local, state and federal law enforcement agencies held several raids on “fish arcades,” which is a form of illegal gambling across North Carolina, on Wednesday.   “Fish arcades” give cash payouts to customers playing on gaming machines involving chance.  They promote sweepstakes through entertaining displays, which violates North Carolina law, according to a statement from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD).  The raids targeted Charlotte, Raleigh, Gastonia and Matthews and totaled 800 charges, with 496 charges filed in Mecklenburg County, according to CMPD ..read more

Shaun Jones, a stand-up comedian known for his wit and style, is set to put on a show at Cinergy Dine-In Cinema in Charlotte. The show will take place on Saturday, April 20, with tickets priced at $25. Jones has made appearances in movies and on TV, from BET’s “Comic View,” a special on the STARZ network, “The Mo’Nique Show” and more. Guests must be 17 years or older to attend the show, and according to a press release sent in April, guests can expect to leave “in stitches” from laughter. Showgoers can also purchase food and drinks at the theater. The post Comedian Shaun Jones to headlin ..read more

Historically Black colleges and universities play an important role in educating the Black community but experience unique struggles that local politicians like Congresswoman Alma Adams believe should be addressed.  Adams, who represents North Carolina’s 12th congressional district comprised of Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties, believes that one of those struggles is a need to improve campus infrastructure. She told QCity Metro that helping the schools’ infrastructure will help them thrive. Why it matters: While only representing roughly 3% of all four-year colleges and universities, HB ..read more