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Habari Gani, Beloved Community? As we stand in the sacred days of Kwanzaa, we arrive carrying the weight of a year that tested us—personally, collectively, and spiritually. On this fourth day, Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) calls us not only to reflect, but to recognize what endures when systems strain and when communities are pushed to the margins. In a year that asked us who we are and what we protect, the reopening of Liberation Station in Raleigh offers a powerful answe

On December 1, 2025, North Carolina is rolling out a wave of new state laws — laws that will directly impact Black families, Indigenous communities, working-class people, immigrants, and youth across this state. And while these policies were passed quietly, behind polished rhetoric about “public safety” and “efficiency,” their consequences will be anything but silent. These new laws are more than bureaucratic adjustments. They are a reflection of a political climate that cont

Today is a day many in this country call Thanksgiving — a day wrapped in stories, myths, and memories that do not always reflect the truth of our histories or the fullness of our lived experiences. But for those of us committed to truth-telling, justice, and community healing, today can also be something more: ✨ A moment to pause and honor the Beloved Community we are building together. ✨ A moment to name gratitude as resistance and as remembrance. ✨ A moment to center the pe

In the Triangle’s heart, in the homes and schools of our Black, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous and first-generation legacy families, education is our collective foundation. It is where the promise of tomorrow is shaped, and where our children’s future takes root. Today, that foundation is under stress. On November 17, 2025, the Wake County school board approved adjustments to the district budget —over $13 million in changes within a more than $2.2 billion plan. These adjustments

Federal immigration activity is again raising serious concern in the Triangle. According to recent reporting by WRAL News , federal agents—including ICE and CBP—conducted operations across Raleigh this week, prompting questions about legality, transparency, and community safety. At Roots of Wisdom Scholars, our mission is clear: we protect our village. We educate, we advocate, and we stand anchored in the long tradition of community defense—from Tulsa’s Greenwood District to

The Big Picture The federal government shutdown — now officially ended after a record-setting 43 days. Though the legislation to reopen the government has been signed and federal funding resumed, many systems, especially those connected to education and early-childhood programs, will not simply “flip back on” immediately. For families, educators, and students in North Carolina (and nationwide), the disruption underscores how deeply federal funding and programs are woven into

We at Roots of Wisdom Scholars believe in helping families stay grounded, nourished, and empowered — not just academically, but holistically. That’s why we’re paying close attention to the recent update from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) about SNAP benefits for November 2025. What’s the update? More than 600,000 households in North Carolina are expected to receive their full November SNAP benefits by the end of the week following the fe

In moments of uncertainty, the measure of a people is revealed not in how we panic — but in how we pour back into one another. As government systems tremble under the weight of political gridlock and economic inequity, our communities stand, as they always have, on the foundation of something far greater than policy: the power of collective care . It’s in this spirit that Roots of Wisdom Scholars has launched Nourishing the Beloved Community , an ongoing initiative designed

As the nation edges toward another federal government shutdown, headlines speak of “budget stalemates” and “partisan gridlock.” But what they don’t say out loud is this: it’s always our people who pay the price. In North Carolina, over 1.4 million residents — including more than 600,000 households and 40% of them children — now face uncertainty over their next meal as federal SNAP benefits hang in the balance. ( Source: WRAL ) This isn’t a random policy inconvenience. It’s t

There is a long, ugly line between the poll taxes and literacy tests of Jim Crow and the gerrymandered maps and paperwork traps of today. That line is not a relic of history. It is a living, legislative strategy — updated, repackaged, and made legal by courts and statehouses that prefer power over democracy. Right now, that strategy is being deployed with new force in North Carolina and under threat at the U.S. Supreme Court. If we do not act with the urgency and creativity o

On Saturday, October 18th 2025 , millions of people across the country — and beyond — will rise together in over 2,500 nonviolent protests to remind the world that democracy is not for sale, and it is not up for grabs. For many of us, this moment feels familiar. We have seen before what happens when power concentrates in the hands of a few — when leadership turns into domination, when service to the people becomes self-service, and when justice bends to privilege. The No Kin

North Carolina's public education system is failing its most vulnerable students—those with disabilities. Despite federal mandates and state commitments, the state is grappling with a severe shortage of qualified special education teachers , inadequate funding, and systemic barriers that hinder the delivery of quality education. In some districts, the situation has become so dire that entire special education departments have effectively shut down , leaving students without t

When a new North Carolina law demands that teachers catalog every book in their classroom and post it online, on its face it may sound...

On October 1, North Carolina’s House Bill 318 took effect, demanding that local law enforcement “determine someone’s citizenship or legal...

Too often, when young people hear the word government, the eyes glaze over. It feels like a distant machine operating somewhere far away...

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win.” Those words, etched into the consciousness of every organizer who dares...

The recent directive by the Trump administration to remove exhibits and signage related to slavery from U.S. national parks—including the...

Recent reports out of Mississippi are deeply disturbing, yet familiar. First, Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Black student at...

On September 15, 1963, the world witnessed one of the most horrific acts of racial terrorism in U.S. history. Four little Black...

We refuse to be reduced to segments. Black grief is sacred, not spectacle. Media without truth only deepens our chains.