Black mayors of Charlotte gather to discuss city's past, future
Charlotte's past and present black mayors gathered at Belmont Regional Center on Tuesday morning to tell stories of how they rose to their positions, and what they hope to see in Charlotte moving forward.
Former mayors Harvey Gantt and Patrick Cannon attended the forum alongside current mayor Vi Lyles. Former mayor and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx attended virtually.
READ: Mayor Lyles' plan on hold to replace historic home with new one
'It's amazing to see the great leaders of Charlotte right there in front of us there and it was amazing to see how far Charlotte has grown and it's amazing to see the growth that Charlotte will continue to have,' attendee Kobe Brown said.
The mayors involved in the Run This Town panel shared the hurdles they faced to achieve success.
The panelists said it's important for younger generations to become involved in politics and within their communities.
'People like myself who are octogenarians are dependent upon younger people being aware of what's going on in the community and sustaining this kind of organization,' Gantt said.
WATCH: Mayor Lyles' plan on hold to replace historic home with new one

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Fox News
7 hours ago
- Fox News
Trump admin seeking to pull funding from local governments slapped with judge's preliminary injunction
A federal judge in Washington state on Tuesday granted Denver and other local governments a preliminary injunction against the Trump administration's threats to withhold federal funding for transportation programs. Denver and dozens of other plaintiffs filed the lawsuit in May, claiming that the Trump administration's threats to withhold an estimated $4 billion in critical federal grants exceed the Executive Branch's authority and were thereby "unlawful and politically motivated funding conditions," according to the injunction order. The judge ruled that the Trump administration likely violated the Separation of Powers doctrine, and that its threats to cut funding constitute harm. "It is this looming risk itself that is the injury, and one that Plaintiffs are already suffering," the order stated. "Courts evaluating similar circumstances have recognized that this injury of acute budgetary uncertainty is irreparable." The lawsuit was filed after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a memo in April that warned recipients of federal funding that they could lose grants if they did not adhere to the Trump administration's stance on diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Duffy's memo further stated that failure to help enforce federal immigration policy could also lead to loss of funding. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston praised the judge's decision on Wednesday. "Denver follows all laws — federal, state, and local — and it should not be so much to ask the White House to do the same," Johnston said in a statement. "We appreciate the court's swift and precise ruling protecting the federal funding that Denverites deserve."

Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Dem senate candidate hurls accusations at FDP regarding speaking opportunity at upcoming event
Photo taken from Tamika Lyles campaign website A Democratic candidate who wants to challenge U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody next year is ripping into the state party, accusing it of unfairly excluding her from the party's upcoming annual fundraiser while at the same time opening the door to another potential Senate candidate. The Florida Democratic Party strongly disputes the assertion made by Tamika Lyles that the party is violating its bylaws as well as 'the basic principles of democracy.' Here's what we know: Lyles filed to run for the U.S. Senate on April 1. Josh Weil is a Democrat who raised a large amount of money in his unsuccessful bid to beat Republican Randy Fine in the special congressional election in District 6 in April. He too, is expected to announce his candidacy in the 2026 Senate race later this month. The Lyles' campaign raised objections when it learned that Weil would be given an opportunity to speak at the party's Leadership Blue Weekend event, which includes a gala, being held at the Hard Rock in Hollywood June 20-22, believing it to be a slight since Weil has yet to announce his candidacy. Lyles' campaign on Tuesday issued a lengthy statement expressing its anger. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX But FDP officials say Lyles isn't telling the whole story, and that the party isn't supporting anybody in next year's Senate primary. FDP says that Weil is only getting an opportunity to speak at Leadership Blue Weekend because he paid $50,000 to become a 'title sponsor' for the event. It's the highest price point among the four different sponsorships that attendees can donate (the three other sponsorships range between $5,000 to $25,000.) The $50,000 donation comes with perks, including four reception tickets, two seats at the head table for the event and a 'speaking opportunity,' as listed in an FDP document. The event is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Democratic Party, with individual tickets going for $300. Lyles said that she was informed by an FDP official that she too, could get a speaking slot similar to Weil's if she would pay the $50,000 required to become a title sponsor. The Lyles campaign claims the party's decision to not initially reach out to her highlights 'a serious issue of unequal treatment and exclusion,' adding that 'it is an act of discrimination, one that mirrors the ongoing marginalization of women, particularly Black women and grassroots candidates nationwide.' Lyles is Black. The FDP says that's not what happened here. 'Title sponsorships for our annual Leadership Blue Weekend are available to all candidates, and no title sponsorship opportunities have been 'extended' to any candidates,' said FDP spokesperson Matt Dailey. 'However, as the information on how to sign up for a title sponsorship has been publicly available on our website for months, some candidates have reached out to us to sponsor the event. ' Lyles is a U.S. Air Force veteran based in Osceola County who is making her third run for public office. She briefly entered the Democratic primary for Senate in 2018 before withdrawing. In 2020 she finished third in a five-person Democratic primary for a Central Florida House seat. 'This is what voter suppression looks like inside the party,' she said in a written statement to the Florida Phoenix. 'I have served this country in uniform, earned multiple degrees, led legal and advocacy efforts for over a decade, and built a campaign powered by people, not political insiders. Yet it still isn't enough to be treated fairly or be given the same access as a man who hasn't even entered the race.' FDP officials say that the only people speaking at the Leadership Blue Gala on Saturday night, June 21, the signature event of the weekend, will be New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Chair Nikki Fried and sitting members of Congress. Weil will be given a speaking slot at some other time during the weekend event, which includes lots of panel discussions. This isn't the first time that there's been an issue in regard to who gets to speak among Senate Democratic candidates at the Leadership Blue Weekend. At last year's event held in Orlando, the eventual nominee, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, did speak during the evening event (an FDP official tells the Phoenix that they 'believed' that both of those candidates paid to get the chance to address party members at last year's event). Her main opponent in the primary election last August, Black tech entrepreneur Stanley Campbell, said he was only invited to speak during a morning session in front of a much smaller group of people. When asked if it wasn't a bad look that only candidates who could offer to pay $50,000 could get a speaking slot sometime during the weekend, the FDP's Matt Dailey said that raising money for the party is what the event is essentially all about. 'Above all, Leadership Blue is a fundraising event – our largest and most important of the year,' he said. 'The practice of offering a spot in the weekend schedule to incentivize title sponsorship is a long-time and well-advertised practice of the party.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE


Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
Trump Administration Moves to Cut $4 Billion Funding for California's High-Speed Rail
President Donald Trump's administration said it is moving to cut roughly $4 billion of federal support from California's high-speed rail project, arguing that the long-delayed effort to connect Los Angeles to San Francisco via train has wasted taxpayer dollars. In a more than 300-page report, the Federal Railroad Administration cited a history of delays and rising costs and said the California High-Speed Rail Authority 'has conned the taxpayer out of its $4 billion investment' without a viable plan to finish the project on time. The state has 37 days to respond.