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Right: My passport picture before immigrating to the US. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

The ongoing struggle for racial justice. The future for immigrant families. The health and well-being of all Americans. The very fate of our fragile planet. The United States faces a crossroads in 2020. Seeking out the stories flying under the national radar, The Nation and Magnum Foundation are partnering on Whats At Stake, a series of photo essays from across the country through the lenses of independent imagemakers. Follow the whole series here. This installment was produced with support from the Economic Hardship Reporting Project.

Some of the earliest memories I have of the United States after immigrating from Mexico are the long drives to the supermarket my father and I used to take. As soon as we entered the car, my father would put on his favorite CD, by Los Tigres Del Norte, and immediately La Jaula De Oro would start to play. This nortea anthem laments that the journey of migration, the opportunities that await in America, and the struggle to live the American Dream all come with great costs: Although this cage is made of gold, Los Tigres sing, it does not stop being a prison. As my dad nodded along, I could tell this was a lesson my father had learned himself, creating a life away from the country of his youth. But for me, it ended up taking a few years of living here to fully understand the complexity of the lyrics, and the pull they had on my father.

Like many other young immigrants and first-generation Americans, young Latinxs have seen and experienced what the pursuit of the American Dream can do to a body. Seeing our parents overworked, mistreated, and ridiculed while they are simultaneously expected to remain grateful for the scraps this country offers them has for decades shaped how our communities live in this country. There has been Latinx activism and organizing in this country for as long as the United States has existed, but for my generation of Latinx youth, things seem different: As a group, we seem to be throwing off the heavy burden this places on our shoulders and are confronting head-on the oppressive systems that shape our lives.

Nikki, in red, and Chanty. Our generation is more outspoken, Nikki explains. We honor our cultural background but we are also more likely to stand up for what we believe in and to teach the older generation where their views may be biased. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

Latinx youth of my generationIm 24have become more vocal than ever before, organizing around issues that affect our communities and pushing our friends, family, and neighbors to get involved in shaping our political future. I think we are more outspoken than the generations that came before, says Nikki. We honor our cultural backgrounds but we are also more likely to stand up for what we believe in and to teach the older generation where their views may be biased.

Liz with her boyfriend Nay. Latinos have a lot of work to do when we talk about racism, Liz says. Theres a lot anti-blackness in our culture and we can do better by simply talking to and educating our family and friends. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

Part of the shift has come from the recognition that the category Latinx is not a monolith: Our communities are composed of many races, religions, and nationalities. We come from different countries, different backgrounds. Its a category that includes wealthy Cuban refugees alongside poor Indigenous Central American migrants, White Latin Americans alongside Afro-Latinxs. This diversity creates tension, and our generation is working to address the racism, colorism, and xenophobia that exists in many of our communities. Latinos have a lot of work to do when we talk about racism, Liz told me. Theres a lot of anti-Blackness in our culture and we can do better by simply talking to and educating our family and friends. Understanding that we all have racial bias, that there are learned behaviors that have been passed down from generation to generation, that white supremacy is a global issue and not specific to America, drives a lot of our organizing. I want for everyone to come together, to become allies, because at the end of the day we are far more similar than we are different. says Liz.

Left: Storefront display of traditional Mexican regional clothing, ceramics, and religious figurines. Right: Berenice, in brown, and Yasmine. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

Then theres the topic of immigration: Every four years, the presidential candidates make big promises about immigration, saying theyll be the one to finally pass overdue policy reform, or threatening to shut the borders to Latinx immigrants. But the last comprehensive immigration reform and amnesty legislation was passed almost 35 years ago, so undocumented immigrants can be forgiven for not giving much weight to candidates promises. The DACA program passed under Obama, which provided a path to citizenship for undocumented people brought to the country as minors, has so far survived the Trump administration, but it is far from the comprehensive immigration reform this country needs. As Berenice, a DACA recipient, told me, To some, citizenship may not be much, but citizenship for others is the security blanket that many aspire a whole lifetime to obtain and only a few get. Though being undocumented doesnt define you as a person, it does set boundaries as how big you can dream. Yasmine, a DACA recipient, adds, Theres so much uncertainty living in the US as an undocumented person. We cant allow ourselves to dream too much because it can all be easily taken away. Or as Berenice explained, I feel like I am in constant limbo. Not knowing the future of DACA has kept me from looking into opening my business.

Right: Kristian with his mother and four generations of women in pictures on the wall. Right: Mural of St. Jude, patron saint of lost causes. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

Living as an immigrant in the United States these past four years under Trump has created a lot of fear and uncertainty within our communities, and we see the toll this has taken on our parents. Growing up, our parents seem like the strongest people in the world, but when we become adults oursselves, we begin to understand how great the burdens placed upon them were, and how much they struggled with them. Young undocumented are at front of immigration reform, but we cant forget about our parents, grandparents and neighbors, Kristian, a former Dreamer explains. They deserve protection as well.

Bianca two weeks before giving birth to her daughter. I want my little girl to know and learn about her family's history, how both of her grandparents immigrated to the US for a better future. I want her to feel empowered by her roots. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

Now that my generation is growing up, were entering the workforce, taking care of our parents, our brothers and sisters, and some of us have started a family of our own. Were thinking of the future, not just for ourselves, but for those who will come after us. I want my little girl to know and learn about her familys history, how both of her grandparents immigrated to the US for a better future. I want her to feel empowered by her roots and not made to feel less than, says Bianca. We feel the responsibility to keep our cultures and traditions alive and to not let them be consumed by assimilation. While honoring our parents and ancestors, we want to create a new Latinx identity in this country, one thats founded on mutual respect and equity. We finally have the power to become the role models that we desperately wanted to see growing up.

Yasmine, left, and Berenice hugging their mother. (Luis Manuel Diaz)

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The Latinx Future Will Not Look Like the Latinx Past - The Nation

On Sunday, December 13, Luis Manuel Vasquez-Gomez, a 52-year-old Dominican national with a green card, was killed by police after he discharged a weapon outside the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan following a Christmas carol concert there. It was not his first encounter with the law, raising the question as to why he was in the United States let alone New York to begin with.

The New York Times reports that the shooter came to this country in 1976 as an immigrant, and by the age of 22 had at least three arrests one for shooting at a woman and police officers, one for cutting a man's hand, and one for selling drugs to an undercover cop. By 1991, he had been convicted of possession of a weapon, harassment, and sale of a controlled substance, and ended up serving a prison sentence.

He came to the attention of the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in 1994, and was ordered deported by an immigration judge (IJ) in 1995. But for some reason that is unclear from reporting, he was not in fact deported. ICE locked Vasquez-Gomez up after an unspecified parole violation in 2007.

That is where the case gets legal and weird. Logically, he could have applied for a waiver under former section 212(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), during his deportation proceedings in the 1990s.

Section 212(c) was on its face relief that was available to lawful permanent residents (LPRs) returning from abroad who had accrued at least seven years of residence in the United States, to waive various grounds of removal (including most criminal ones). In 1976, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) (following the lead of the Second Circuit) expanded the coverage of section 212(c) of the INA to allow LPRs in the United States to seek that waiver even if they had not left the country.

The applicability of section 212(c) just grew from there, and was liberally granted to eligible aliens 10,000 just between 1989 and 1995, according to the Supreme Court. By 1996, Congress had enough.

That year, it severely limited the availability of section 212(c) in section 440(d) of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (AEDPA), before eliminating those waivers in section 304(b) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (IIRIRA). That waiver was replaced with the much more stringent "cancellation of removal for certain" LPRs in section 240A(a) of the INA (42A cancellation).

Well, sort of. In 2001, in INS v. St. Cyr, the Supreme Court held that section 212(c) relief was still available to aliens who had been pleaded guilty to a crime before the effective date of IIRIRA (April 1, 1997), on the theory that those aliens had done so in reliance on the availability of that relief (just proving how liberally the waiver had been granted).

Then, in 2014, the BIA expanded that decision to aliens who had been convicted following a trial before the effective dates of AEDPA and IIRIRA, if they would have been eligible to apply for 212(c) under the law then in effect prior to amendment. To be fair to the BIA, it did so in light of intervening circuit court decisions that had made a mess of the limitations and repeal of section 212(c) in AEDPA and IIRIRA, respectively.

Which brings me back to Vasquez-Gomez. As noted, he had been arrested by ICE following a probation violation in 2007, but (according to the Daily News) an IJ granted him a stay of removal to challenge his 1995 deportation order in November of that year, and he was ordered released in February 2008 (it is unclear whether ICE or the IJ let him go). He was granted I conclude from the reporting a waiver under section 212(c) in November 2017.

Last Sunday, wearing a Dominican flag mask, Vasquez-Gomez waited until the performance at St. John the Divine had concluded before firing shots in the air. The backpack he carried contained gasoline, as well as rope, knives, duct tape, and a Bible. In an understatement, New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea stated: "I think we can all surmise the ill intentions of the proceeds of this bag."

Underscoring this point, a note was found in his pocket stating that he planned to take hostages at the church, and hold them until banks and companies ponied up money to help needy people in Latin America. The NBC outlet in New York explains: "Vasquez voiced his anger at the 'U.S. regime which has committed robbery and more against the people of Latin America.' He also wrote that he did not envision returning to his Bronx apartment."

It sounds like classic "suicide by cop" by a plainly disturbed man wanting to bring attention to his vague grievances. Those complaints seem particularly ironic, in light of the lenient treatment the U.S. immigration system had given him.

Apparently, his troubles with the police did not end in 1995, or even 2017. He was wanted by the police for menacing with a gun this past summer (all told, he had six arrests over 30 years). Bishop Andrew M.L. Dietsche of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, opined that Vasquez-Gomez's act was "self-destructive and not an attack on the church". Bishops can be magnanimous in a manner that IJs cannot.

Vasquez-Gomez's case demonstrates why Congress eliminated section 212(c) relief to begin with, but also how it remains a "zombie" provision in the INA. In FY 2018 (the last year for which statistics are available), immigration courts and the BIA granted that relief to 368 aliens more than two decades after Congress "eliminated" it in IIRIRA.

Of course, the case also raises other questions. Why, exactly, had this LPR's case been reopened in 2007 to apply for relief that was ostensibly available to him when he was ordered removed in 1995? Why did it take 10 years for that 2007 case to be resolved? Who ordered his release from immigration custody in 2008? And did the state of New York report his latest infractions to ICE? The answer to the latter question was almost definitely "no," for reasons that I explainedlast Friday.

Those questions will likely remained unresolved, but I have some ideas. Given the passage of time between the 1995 order of deportation and his 2007 motion to reopen, Vasquez-Gomez likely did not have any "serious" marks on his record, and probably did not have any a decade later. "Time heals all wounds," but it also gives aliens under final orders time to build up new equities in the United States.

That just shows why it is important for ICE to remove aliens under final orders expeditiously. But given the agency's limited resources, and the fact that at the end of FY 2019, there were 595,430 immigration fugitives that is, aliens who have failed to leave the United States based on a final order of removal, deportation, or exclusion, or who have failed to report to ICE after receiving notice to do so there are likely to be more aliens whose removal orders go unexecuted for decades into the future. I hope none are as dangerous as Vasquez-Gomez but in a population of almost 600,000 people, there are bound to be a number of bad apples.

I doubt that the situation is likely to get any better in the 117th Congress or under theadministration of president-electJoe Biden who has already expressed his disdain for ICE enforcement and the current immigration laws.

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New York Cathedral Shooter Had Been Given Immigration Relief - Immigration Blog

The political chief of Mark Zuckerbergs philanthropy is leaving his post, Recode has learned, which is stirring some speculation that he could take on a new role with his former boss, Kamala Harris.

Mike Troncoso, once a top aide to Harris, is stepping down from his position as the head of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiatives Justice and Opportunity Initiatives (JOI), CZI confirmed to Recode. The leader of JOI is one of the top positions at the organization that Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, founded in 2015. As the head of JOI, Troncoso oversaw one of Silicon Valleys biggest political advocacy operations that has spent hundreds of millions of dollars pushing for immigration reform, changes to the criminal justice system, and more affordable housing.

The departure is notable for two reasons: Zuckerbergs political team at his philanthropy has had to navigate tricky tensions that are rooted in political challenges in Zuckerbergs day job at Facebook, challenges that will only intensify under Joe Biden. And secondly, the timing of Troncosos departure raises the possibility that he could be in line for a senior position staffing with Harris, which would serve as another possible link between the Biden administration and Zuckerberg, who is facing antitrust scrutiny and a skeptical public.

Troncoso served as chief counsel to Harris when she was Californias attorney general. He oversaw a major investigation into the states banking actions during the financial crisis, one of her landmark accomplishments, and he later co-chaired her transition team when she was elected to the Senate. Harris name-checks Troncoso in her autobiographys acknowledgments.

Troncoso had recently told people he works with at CZI that he did not currently have plans to join the administration, according to sources, but that no decision had been made. CZI said that Troncoso planned to return to public service and is relocating with his family to the East Coast.

Harris has only unveiled the names of a few of her top aides. The Biden-Harris transition team didnt return a request for comment.

Troncoso succeeded David Plouffe, Barack Obamas longtime political adviser, in the role overseeing CZIs JOI programming. While Troncoso was a lower-profile figure, he oversaw a number of high-profile political projects, such as the $10 million that CZI spent on its ultimately unsuccessful attempt to add billions to Californias budget, CZIs most expensive electoral play yet. Troncoso originally oversaw CZIs work on criminal justice reform, and CZI eventually was spending about $40 million a year on that effort, becoming one of the areas largest philanthropic funders.

He had to navigate making these plays at a time when CZIs co-founder, Zuckerberg, and the source of its wealth, Facebook, grew to become a greater liability. Some of that antagonism has ricocheted onto Zuckerbergs philanthropy, even though CZI is entirely distinct from Facebook. Some people who have worked at CZI have alleged that its political work is overly sensitive to what could impact Facebook, and a former JOI employee last month publicly filed a discrimination complaint against the organization, claiming in part that Troncosos team did not center racial equity enough in its political programming. CZI has said that it investigated these claims and they are unsubstantiated.

Troncoso will be succeeded at least in the interim by Osi Imeokparia, who comes from a more technical background and oversaw the JOI teams product development.

Like other political advocacy shops, CZI will probably have to rethink some of its programming under a new president and in a new political climate, especially its work on federal immigration reform. CZI recently released an internal report card of sorts on its five-year anniversary this month, which disclosed that it had spent $436 million on its JOI work during that time.

As part of that review, CZI also said it would spend $500 million over the next five years on initiatives focused on racial equity, something that Zuckerberg critics say he has fumbled at Facebook.

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Mike Troncoso, a former Kamala Harris aide, is stepping down from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - Vox.com

Before he was elected in November, Joe Biden promised that his theory of change for reforming the economy would be ending poverty. He pledged to champion a $15 minimum wage, affordable health care for all and federal action to address systemic racism. In the midst of an economic crisis, a pandemic and an uprising for racial justice, low-income Americans Black, white, brown, Asian and Native voted to overwhelm a reactionary base that President Trump had stoked with lies and fear.

As Democrats have argued about losses in congressional districts that saw a surge of Mr. Trumps base, some have suggested the Biden administrations mandate is to compromise with Republican demands. But Mr. Biden and Ms. Harriss victory depended on the turnout of a diverse coalition that wants economic and racial justice, and deserves bold policy solutions.

At least six million more low-income people voted in this election than in 2016. According to early polls, those with household incomes of less than $50,000 voted for Mr. Biden by an 11.5-point margin a more than 30 percent increase. This surge of poor and low-income voters of all races joined Black, brown and Native voters as well as white anti-Trump voters in the suburbs to meet and surpass the turnout of Mr. Trumps base.

Voters also supported at least 14 ballot initiatives across the country that increase taxes on the wealthy, protect workers, address housing issues and homelessness, bridge the digital divide, fund transportation, confront the criminalization of poverty and limit campaign contributions. Voters across the country demanded health care, living wages, the decriminalization of their communities and a system that taxes those who can afford it most. Sixty-three percent of Americans now say that the government has a responsibility to provide health care for all. Around two-thirds of Biden voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada say that systemic racism is a significant problem, and the same proportion of Americans surveyed last year favored a $15 minimum wage.

Part of the support for Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris is explained by the deep suffering and desperate need that exist in a nation with 140 million poor and low-wealth citizens. Since May, at least eight million people have fallen below the poverty line, tens of millions of Americans may face eviction in the coming months, and families with the lowest incomes have disproportionately lost jobs. Its no wonder so many used their votes to challenge decades of neoliberal trickle-down policies that have not worked for so many.

To fulfill the mandate that the 2020 electorate has given them, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris must reject the politics of austerity and fulfill their commitment to policies that address human needs and cultivate human capacities. While the Georgian runoffs will determine whether Democrats have a Senate majority, the new administration can take a bold stand now and commit to policies that would lift Americans regardless of their party affiliation. We must have immediate relief targeted to the Black, Native, poor and low-income communities that have suffered most from Covid-19, alongside universal action to address the root causes of inequality by guaranteeing every American access to quality health care, a $15 minimum wage, the right to form and join a union, and access to affordable housing.

To address the political obstruction that has made so many other policy changes impossible, the Biden administration must push to expand voting rights to include universal early voting, online and same-day registration, re-enfranchisement of citizens affected by mass incarceration, statehood for Washington, D.C., and full restoration of the protections of the Voting Rights Act. Real change can be sustained only if the level of voter participation we witnessed this year is sustained.

This administration must modernize the way the government measures poverty so that it accounts for increases in costs of education, housing and transportation. It should begin a federal jobs program, forgive student loans, honor the sovereignty claims of Indigenous tribes, secure quality public education for all and pass meaningful immigration reform.

The economy Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris inherit will have been weakened by the coronavirus pandemic, which will lead many on both the right and the left to caution that we cannot afford to be too ambitious. But the truth is we cannot afford not to. From the Trump administrations tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to the governments relief spending to shore up American corporations this year, we have seen what huge federal investment can do to lift the stock market. Its past time to see what the same level of investment can do to lift the American people.

We are both preachers, and our faith tells us the well-being of any nations soul is tied to the welfare of its most vulnerable people. If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, the prophet Isaiah says, youll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again. That is the nation millions of poor and low-income people voted for this year. It is the America we pray Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris will have the courage to lead toward.

William Barber II (@RevDrBarber) is the president of Repairers of the Breach, a co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign and the author of We Are Called to Be a Movement. Liz Theoharis is a co-chair of the Poor Peoples Campaign.

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Opinion | What Biden and Harris Owe the Poor - The New York Times

Arts & Entertainment

June Bayless: The pandemic may have ended in-person performances by the Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts, but her nonprofit continued to entertain online audiences with virtual performances and entertainment.

Derek James: Clips of the WCCB News Rising hosts snarky takes on pop culture appeared on national television shows. The Matthews resident also took time from his schedule to support local causes, like the Charlotte Nativity Festival.

Lee Anne Moore: She announced in May that the Matthews Alive Labor Day festival was canceled this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

Nanda Jayaseelan: She won the Great Trans-Atlantic Photography Contest with her entry, Artist in Residence, which captures a child decorating a tree trunk with a piece of blue chalk.

Chris Melton: The former Matthews commissioner volunteered with WDZD 99.1, a nonprofit in Monroe that won Radio Station of the Year at the Carolina Beach Music Awards.

Dan Peterson: He created a table out of the remnants of a tree that was downed by a tornado at the Matthews HELP Center. The artwork took him 20 to 30 hours to complete.

Dillon Smith: The Noble Records owner created a niche on YouTube for fans of vinyl records and music in general. Some of his videos have been viewed more than 50,000 times.

Sheryl Smith: She announced Mint Hill Madness would be postponed from May to August due to COVID-19, but the event was ultimately canceled due to concerns about community spread.

Business

Jennifer Adams: She opened Central Bark, a 7,000-square-foot doggy daycare, Aug. 27 near the Matthews-Charlotte border. The former banker was drawn to the franchises Whole Dog Care philosophy.

Jason Bernd: Novant Health promoted him to succeed Roland Bibeau as president and chief operating officer of its Matthews hospital. Bernd presided over the hospitals annual Festival of Trees celebration though it was a virtual event this year.

Roland Bibeau: He ended his 12-year run as president and chief operating officer at Novant Health Matthews Medical Center by earning a key to the town. Under his watch, the hospital expanded intensive and critical care services, as well as added more specialized care for cardiac and female patients.

Collin Brown: Brown represented Cypress Senior Living in a rezoning case that promised to bring a new form of senior living to Matthews. The concept involved unbundling services for a projected 128 apartment units, allowing for more affordable rates.

Michelle Buelow: Despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, her company, Bella Tunno, continued to give back through its Buy One, Feed One campaign. It donated more than 100,000 meals to people affected by wildfires in the Northwest.

Whitleigh Cook: The former Carolina Panthers cheerleader not only celebrated the 10th anniversary of Mint Hill Dance Center, but her business also won Best Dance Studio in Matthews-Mint Hill Weeklys Best of the Weekly readers choice campaign.

Kimberly Gossage: Charlotte Media Group recognized the attorney for her community impact in January. As board of the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, she explained to town leaders how local businesses were struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dimitrios Hondro: The Matthews physician was voted by his peers to lead the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians. His goal for the coming year is to support and provide a soundboard for family physicians in his industry.

Joel Madden: The municipal infrastructure specialist was a key cog in a team that secured a contract in September with Mint Hill to update the towns comprehensive plan. Town commissioners thought the teams knowledge of Mint Hill would help in planning smart growth.

Rob & Kim McClintock: The couple received Charlotte Media Groups Small Business Person of the Year Award in January for not only growing McClintock Heating & Cooling into a regional HVAC leader, but also working to educate current and future employees about the industry.

Steve Messer: He said the decision to rename Plantation Estates to Matthews Glen is representative of the values we have always stood for and our larger commitment to be recognized as an open, inclusive and diverse community.

Nicholas Parker: The president of Amicus Partners PLLC convinced Mint Hill commissioners to approve rezoning for McEwen Manor, a 166-house neighborhood fronting Lawyers Road. It would capitalize on the ability to walk to downtown.

Jessica Tullar: She took over as executive director of the Matthews Chamber of Commerce, which organized activities like the Hometown Holiday Scavenger Hunt to get people returning to local businesses.

Community

Arden Boyle: The Independence High School alum organized a Black Lives Matter demonstration in June at Mint Hill Town Hall after attending a similar rally in Waxhaw. Several such rallies were held following the death of George Floyd.

Chi-Liam Cody Brown-Erickson: The Matthews Police Department issued an Amber Alert for the infant on Feb. 21, but Charlotte police found the 6-month-old boys body soon after at Sharon Memorial Park in Charlotte.

Gina Coque: She not only valedictorian of Rocky River High School but she got into Yale University. The first-generation college student is passionate about immigration reform. Both of her parents were immigrants.

Iris DeVore: The community servant passed away in November. She was instrumental in creating The Happy Times Club, Matthews HELP Center and Levine Senior Club.

Carrie Flock: The retired professional boxer spent the latter part of 2020 training for a new title Ms NC Americas United States. She hoped to represent Mint Hill with a pageant platform of mentoring girls and women.

Katherine Greene: The Covenant Day senior was honored at the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for Katies Kidz, which has collected and donated more than 50,000 gifts for hospitalized children since 2007.

Camille Harvell: The Butler High School grad said during a Black Lives Matter demonstration at Matthews Town Hall that she didnt feel safe when she looked at members of the town police department. She encouraged white people to become allies.

Sherry Liu: The Providence High student launched a mentoring program, Peer2Peer. The free online tutoring program connected students to mentors when support at school wasnt available.

Tim Marshall Sr.: Marshall attended a Black Lives Matter rally in June at Mint Hill Town Hall and had a passionate exchange with Mayor Brad Simmons about police reform. The four-minute clip was viewed thousands of times on our Facebook page.

Adhvik Pradeep: Inspired by Shark Tank, the 9-year-old created a produce and plant stand in his Matthews neighborhood that attracted other young entrepreneurs. He donated a percentage of sales to No Kid Hungry North Carolina.

Bill Stevens: He chaired the Matthews Silver Line Task Force, a citizens group that pored over data to suggest an ideal route for Charlotte Area Transit System to construct a light rail route from Charlotte to Matthews.

Greg & Elizabeth Thomas: The couple decorated their Heritage Woods home for Halloween with Star Wars characters, such as Jabba the Hutt, Baby Yoda, Darth Maul and Han Solo in carbonite. It may be the greatest Star Wars display in the galaxy.

Education

Joey Burch: He retired after six years as principal at Levine Middle College High School, but his impact was felt deeper at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, where he had worked for more than four decades.

Penelope Crisp: She took over as principal of Matthews Elementary School after serving the same role within three elementary schools: Lansdowne (2014-2020), Clear Creek (2010-2012) and Torrence Creek (2008-2010)

Elyse Dashew: She presided over several emergency school board meetings to decide whether schools should be opened or closed due to the fluid conditions of community spread of COVID-19. The board favored keeping kids at home.

Dennis LaCaria: He represented Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools during discussions with Mint Hill commissioners and the planning board to begin construction on an elementary school on the Mint Hill Middle School campus in 2021.

Wil Loesel: The Albemarle Road Middle School educator continued to teach from his hospital bed while fighting cancer, earning his national recognition, including from daytime TV host Ellen DeGeneres.

Rhiannon Polite: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools promoted the assistant principal at Northeast Middle School in February to the principal vacancy at Lebanon Road Elementary.

Bob Sorrell: He had the annual chore of asking town commissioners, on behalf of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, for an extension to keep the nine extra mobile units at Elizabeth Lane Elementary School on campus for another year.

Sean Strain: The area representative on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education pressed administrators to get students back into the classroom as soon as possible. Strain reasoned that time outside of the classroom could be detrimental to childrens growth.

Josh Swartzlander: Queens Grant High School made news across the region for installing a UV light system to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Jenna Tomlinson: The Butler history educator earned Southeast Learning Community Teacher of the Year honors. This made her a finalist for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Teacher of the Year.

Ericia Turner: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools recognized her as Principal of the Year. Turner has led Rocky River High School since 2016. She gave 2020 graduates rocks to remind them they were strong, stable and able to survive.

Earnest Winston: As superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Winston faced scrutiny during the pandemic from parents wanting their children back in classrooms and from staff preferring to work remotely.

Faith/Nonprofits

Mumukshu Brahmbhatt: MB brought together community leaders, including three mayors past and present, to raise $100,000 for the Matthews HELP Center in a campaign called Matthews Helping Matthews.

Andrew Byrd: The lead pastor at Greater Life Church filmed heartfelt video while battling COVID-19. He eventually recovered.

Sandra Conway: Her nonprofit, Matthews HELP Center, saw increased demand for crisis services, such as help paying utility and housing bills. The charity received a $100,000 boost from the Matthews Helping Matthews community campaign.

Bill Helms: He chaired the Matthews Human Service Council board of directors as the group celebrated its 25th year. Helms also provided strategic guidance to the Matthews Historical Foundation.

Dahn Jenkins: The Levine Senior Center started providing weekly drive-by meals in April to boost the morale of older adults during the pandemic. Staff planned a Drive By Holiday Meal and Care Package Event, too.

Jason Michel: The Matthews congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints welcomed him as the new bishop. He replaced Jesse Conn. He described himself as a cog in the wheel of the church

John Munro: The Calvary Church senior pastor was one of several in the area to adapt to weekly sermons going virtual. He told those watching in April they were among viewers from 30 countries around the world.

Ben Pinegar: The Brace YMCA leader appealed to Matthews commissioners for more flexibility with its property since the campus was losing seven acres of field space to a N.C. Department of Transportation road project at the Weddington Road and I-485 interchange.

Natisha Rivera-Patrick: Her organization, Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, dedicated its 113th home, which was the first two-story house in the charitys history. She launched the Affordable Housing Alliance, a group of community partners working toward more affordable housing.

Kim Rhodarmer: She saw a surge in demand for crisis support during the pandemic as executive director at The Servants Heart of Mint Hill.

Sue Sproat: The executive director for C.O.S.Kids earned the Nancy Glenn Community Servant Award for her leadership following a tornado and the COVID-19 pandemic. She raised the childcare agencys profile nationally, too.

Barbara Taylor: The Matthews Heritage Museum director helped solve the mystery of gravestones found in the Crestdale Crossing neighborhood.

Mark Tofano: The Matthews resident assumed command of the Hooks Orr American Legion Post 235. The post restored the veterans memorial at Stumptown Park and maintained many of the groups traditional programs in spite of the pandemic.

Chuck Wilson: His friendship with the Rev. Larry Whitley and the collaboration between their churches was the subject of a WSOC programming about improving race relations within the Charlotte region.

Food/Drink

David Andrews: His restaurant, The Hill Bar and Grill, won Matthews-Mint Hill Weeklys Munch Madness: Road to the Final Fork bracket challenge. It shut down March 21 due to COVID-19 concerns and reopened on April 24.

Jay Camp: The Matthews planning director vetted a proposal to allow temporary outdoor seating in downtown so businesses can be more competitive during mass gathering restrictions.

Justin Haas & Justin Hayes: The pair was not fazed by the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on area businesses as they opened Fullwood Market in September. The shop specializes in goods made in the Carolinas.

Rob Jacik: The downtown Matthews supporter merged Carolina Beer Temple and Temple Mojo into one location, retaining the temple name.

Bob Klein: The Stumptown Station owner sought help from Matthews leaders to save his business after Gov. Roy Coopers enacted restrictions that hurt bars.

Frank La Fragola Jr.: A managing partner of Jekyll & Hyde in Matthews, he encouraged town commissioners to support local businesses at a time when the county proposed stricter COIVD-19 restrictions than the state.

Kevin Nelson: The Mint Hill resident took over as owner of Black Chicken Wine Cellar in Matthews. He didnt envision a complete overall, just some tweaks to the downtown wine spot. The restaurant was renamed the Matthews Wine Cellar.

Steven Overcash: The principal of ODA Architecture pitched the idea to Mint Hill commissioners to open a brewery tap room in downtown. The project prompted discussion about whether the town needed to regulate the use to prevent oversaturation.

Chis Sottile: His business, The Loyalist Market, supplied meals to children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and Union County Public Schools during the early days of COVID-19. He raised more than $41,000 through GoFundMe for the effort.

Politics

Bill Brawley: Bill Brawley touted some of his legislative victories in a bid to return to the District 103 seat in the N.C. House of Representatives, but the Matthews resident couldnt overcome incumbent Rachel Hunt in the November election.

Roy Cooper: The governor issued a series of restrictions designed to stop the spread of COVID-19 that closed schools and businesses. He verbally sparred with President Trump over the crowd size inside the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. He was reelected in November.

Barbara Dement: Three months after winning a second term on the Matthews Board of Commissioners, Dement resigned from her seat, citing professional responsibilities.

Renee Garner: The Matthews mayor pro tem played a role in smoothing over friction with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools over House Bill 514. She also called for more training and transparency within the Matthews Police Department following the death of George Floyd.

John Higdon: The Matthews mayor led the effort to improve town relations with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools by committing not to build charter schools. He also was vocal about separating from Mecklenburg Countys harsher COVID-19 restrictions in an attempt to provide relief to businesses.

Rachel Hunt: After earning a second term in the November election, the state lawmaker was receptive toward Matthews town leaders legislative agenda, which sought more local authority and less state overreaching.

Jeff Jackson: The N.C. senator handed over the reigns to his reelection campaign to his wife, Marissa Jackson, after the Army National Guard captain was called in for training.

Ken McCool: He was appointed to replace Barbara Dement on the Matthews Board of Commissioners. McCool called out Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in July for leaving many of the questions he and his colleagues had about the districts Plan B-Plus Remote reopening unanswered.

Jeff Miller: The Matthews commissioner generally supported measures that would help local businesses cope amid COVID-19 restrictions. He offered a specific proposal to support downtown businesses by organizing block parties.

Susan Rodriguez-McDowell: The Democrat won a second term on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners. She recently met with Matthews commissioners to get feedback on how she can best represent them.

Brad Simmons: The Mint Hill mayor increased his communication with the public beginning in the early days of COVID-19, encouraging them to stay at home. He made progress on goals such as streaming meetings online and updating the towns comprehensive plan.

John Urban: The Matthews commissioner spoke of the urgency in securing a long-term lease for the Matthews Free Medical Clinic.

Larry Whitley: The Matthews commissioner continued to call for the need for more diversity among town staff. He wanted to see police officers go through diversity training to ensure no one on patrol hates black people.

Government

Hazen Blodgett: The town manager sought a 3% raise for town staff after Matthews appeared to have a much stronger budget year-to-date compared to 2019 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He attributed that to conservative budgeting.

Dena Diorio: The Mecklenburg County manager has not only focused on preventing and stopping the spread of COVID-19, but shes also worked on recovery. She formed a round table of business leaders to get creative ideas.

Gibbie Harris: The Mecklenburg County public health director became a household name locally as she presided over press conferences throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. She would not approve of situations in which restaurants or bars could not enforce social distancing.

Corey King: He leads the Matthews Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resource Department, which altered some of its popular programming to fit with state restrictions on gatherings. King also gauged town commissioners feelings on recruiting sponsors to stretch the budget for a future dog park.

Rob Kinniburgh: The Matthews Fire & EMS chief has had daily contact with emergency personnel across Mecklenburg County about COVID-19. He shared monthly updates on coronavirus at town commissioner meetings.

Tim Ledford: The Mint Hill police chief retired this month. He has led the department since 2008. During his tenure, he worked to ensure officers were approachable.

Chris Matthews: The county park and recreation division director of nature preserves and natural resources talked about the fall opening of the Stevens Creek Nature Center. The Mint Hill attraction is the countys fourth nature preserve.

Andy Mock: He served as senior project manager for the Charlotte Area Transit Systems LYNX Silver Line, a project connecting Charlotte and Matthews through 26 miles of light rail. He was the Charlotte Area Transit Systems point man to interact with the community.

Clark Pennington: The Matthews police chief worked to restore local trust between his department and the community following the death of George Floyd. He also pursued grants to reduce collisions on major highways.

Brian Welch: The Mint Hill town manager continued the tradition of conservative spending mid-year when he recommended a general fund of $19.7 million that kept the tax rate at 0.255 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Sports

Read more here:
Matthews-Mint Hill Weekly's 100 Biggest Newsmakers of 2020 - matthewsminthillweekly.com