Triangle Tribune

Today, June 7th, we celebrate the birthday of Prince, a musical icon whose influence transcended genre and defied norms.🎶🎸

Prince was a true virtuous singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer who redefined the sound of popular music. From the raw funk of his early work to the genre-bending experimentation that followed, his music pulsed with an undeniable energy and a captivating blend of styles.

He was a captivating performer, known for his flamboyant stage presence and electrifying live shows. He pushed boundaries with his fashion and lyrics, challenging societal norms and embracing artistic freedom.🎙

Prince's legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians and artists. His commitment to creative control and his relentless pursuit of artistic innovation remain hallmarks of a truly singular talent.

What are your favorite Prince songs? Share them in the comments and let's celebrate the Purple One!🟣

The day Tiffany Swoope decided to move GRACED, Inc.’s meetings out of the Cornwallis neighborhood, it reflected the harsh reality in Durham’s fight against gun violence.

A program designed to keep young people engaged in safe, structured environments had to leave an area where safety itself had become uncertain. This situation reinforced the idea behind GRACED’s mission, that intervention must occur to intercept the behavior of the local youth before it becomes a pattern.

"We are hoping our policymakers, our community leaders, our elected officials will listen to our children and come up with a plan," Swoope said.

Swoope’s work has centered on building that kind of early intervention through exposure, mentorship and consistency. GRACED connects young people to structured opportunities like college tours all across North Carolina.

Swoope aims to expand how students see their futures. The program has operated for about three years and has reached hundreds of young people across Durham. “We’re not just showing students what’s possible. We’re helping them believe those possibilities belong to them,” Swoope said.

Click here to read more: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/05/27/local/durham-agency-assists-in-fight-against-gun-violence/

On Thursday morning, more than 200 people gathered at Cisco Systems in RTP for the AI Readiness Summit where they learned firsthand about the latest advancements in AI technology and exchanged information.

The event was sponsored by Cisco's Connected Black Professionals-RTP and the RDU/Triad Chapter of the National Black MBA Association.

Photos courtesy of Mathias Bishop

When Victoria Ayodele was a young girl growing up in Atlanta, she wanted to participate in neuroscience and healthcare summer programs, but her family couldn’t afford them. Now, through her program, NeuroPioneers Pathway, Ayodele, a Duke University pre-med student studying neuroscience and nutrition, is helping others have opportunities she didn’t.

“I wanted to be a part of these neuroscience or healthcare summer programs, but there was often a price tag where these programs were $6,000 to $7,000, and, at the time, my family just did not have the means to afford such programs. So, I was introduced late to these topics when I was very interested and could have decided early on that I wanted to pursue neuroscience and healthcare before college,” Ayodele said.

Founded in 2023, NeuroPioneers Pathway is an international neuroscience education and mentorship program that introduces middle and high school students in grades seven through 12 to brain health and related careers. The student-led, university-funded program connects Duke undergraduate medical students with students to make neuroscience more accessible and relevant to their everyday lives and provide support as they develop their identities and decide which career they’d like to go into.

Read more here:https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/05/26/local/duke-student-provides-pathway-to-understanding-the-brain/

Shaw Names Grant Women's Flag Football Coach - Shaw University RALEIGH, N.C. — Shaw University Athletics announced Thursday the hiring of Bacchus Grant as the first head coach in program history for the university's newly established women's flag football program.

Durham Association of Educators (DAE), the labor union for Durham Public School workers, hosted its first public living wage town hall at NorthStar Church of the Arts.

There, classified staff took turns sharing their experiences serving Durham public school students while also trying to keep up with the increasing cost of living. Classified staff includes instructional assistants, custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers.

“A 12% wage doesn’t even bring us up to where we need to be,” Parkstone said. While DPS bus drivers’ wages range between $19.43 and a maximum of $28 per hour after 30 years of service, GoTriangle offers a starting wage of $22.68 plus bonuses. A DPS custodian can earn a maximum $20.95 per hour after 30 years, compared to a city or county custodian’s hourly starting wage of $21.90. “The county is already paying their workers more than what we’re making, which makes our jobs less desirable,” Parkstone said.

Durham County Manager Claudia Hager proposed a county budget May 11, most notably an additional $10.9 million for DPS, “which covers continuation costs that have risen with inflation,” according to DAE President and DPS high school science teacher Mika Tweitmeyer. The budget proposal didn’t include that $14.8 million requested by DAE from meetings with the union and county staff, which would include the 12% wage increase for classified staff. That requested raise would increase the wage to $19.22 per hour.

Continue reading here: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/05/20/local/dae-demands-wage-increase-for-classified-staff/

While homeownership is out of reach for many North Carolinians, skyrocketing property taxes are displacing longtime owners.

In some N.C. counties, owners of lower-priced housing are paying proportionately double compared to owners of more expensive homes, according to the Wake County Property Tax Justice Working Group.

“Nationwide, there has been a massive problem where Black folks, in particular, and other people of color are being undervalued when they go to sell or refinance their home,” Rob Stephens, a member of the Working Group, said.

Read more here: https://www.triangletribune.com/news/2026/05/27/local/nc-s-black-homeowners-subsidizing-gentrification-group-says/

NC A&T Women's Track & Field | 400mh #14 National Ranking 💙💛

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