“It was exciting trying to get people to vote for people who had been selected by the caucus,” Wallace said.

Many of those candidates were elected. Yet, five months later, the caucus is organizing internally. The group must return to its mission of being a voice in the community, and rebuild its public image, said interim chair Gloria Rembert. Part of that task begins Sunday when the caucus is expected to choose a new chairman at its monthly meeting. If the organization selects Rembert then she will move beyond the recent drama.

“We have lots of work to do to move forward and to do the things we need to do to educate the African American community about the voting process,” said Rembert, a member for seven years. “hat is a key part of our mission.”

The organization could have a large influence in municipal elections this fall because of an influx of new voters. In Mecklenburg, African Americans made up 40 percent of voters who registered last year. They were 30 percent of the state’s new voters.

The caucus, however, hasn’t spent much time educating voters lately because of internal issues. Membership has dwindled to 150 paid members from 300 last year. Dwayne Collins resigned as chair in March amidst complaints of personality conflicts and allegations of financial irregularities. An internal audit is underway. Rembert expects an update from the audit committee on Sunday.

Along with the internal issues, county commissioner Bill James is stirring up things. Citing an anonymous letter detailing allegations against Collins, James asked the State Board of Elections to investigate the organization. James wants to know if the caucus violated election laws during the 2008 Democratic primary and the general election.

Rembert wouldn’t comment on James’ request for a state investigation. She’s focusing the organization on its mission to educate voters.

The best way to do that is to create a shared vision and communicate it to the public, she said. Every decision the caucus makes would be driven by the organization’s strategic plan, Rembert said.

Wallace, the eager member who joined last year, and publicity chair Lori Mack want to make sure the candidates the group endorses represent the community’s interest once they’re elected. They also want elected officials to keep the caucus informed about important issues.

The two also say the caucus must recruit younger members. Membership typically increases closer to elections, Mack said, but people in their 20s and 30s currently make up less than 10 percent of the organization.

Wallace suggests using Evites or brunch meetings, as well as working with Johnson C. Smith University and other colleges to draw young people. The organization should also work with high school students, Rembert added.

To effectively do outreach the caucus needs an interactive Web site, they say. A presence on Facebook and Twitter would be useful as well, Mack said.

“If we’re truly going to be a voice, if we’re going to be a watchdog for the community then we need to be running on all cylinders,” she said.

Instead of running all over each other.

The two have criss-crossed the county attending various meetings and events as well as speaking to organizations. In March, they had their first joint campaign appearance when they spoke at Latin American Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

Foxx is taking cues from how President Obama ran his campaign. Instead of only making a stump speech on Thursday, Foxx is making his announcement a daylong event. He’s trying to generate media buzz as well as reach out to everyday people and the business community. Before his official announcement at West Charlotte, Foxx will have spent the day making strategic stops in the University area, Ballantyne, East Charlotte and Center City.

This is easily going to be one of the most exciting mayoral races to watch, not only because we have two viable candidates – and one not so viable one – but also their campaign styles will be exciting as well.

After blowing his savings and charging $5,000 in credit card debt at the University of Miami, Bielagus dug himself out of his financial hole.

Bielagus wrote “Getting Loaded: A Complete Personal Finance Guide For Students and Young Professionals.” The 32-year-old also started Wealth Educators International,which targets high school and college students as well as younger members of the military.

Bielagus, who lives in Boston, will speak at Winthrop University at 8 p.m. in Plowden Auditorium in Withers (college of education).

Bielagus isn’t the typical Winthrop speaker, but campus program director Boyd Jones said students requested the finance expert. Tonight’s program is titled “How to Put More Money in Your Pocket Today: A College Personal Finance Boot Camp.”

Below is a Q&A with Bielagus.

You racked up $5,000 worth of credit card debt in college. What did you buy?
I really couldn’t show you, ‘Hey I had a flat screen TV or a new guitar.’ A lot of it went to lunches out, dinners out, going to clubs, taking road trips.

How many cards did you have when you were in college?
When I was a freshman I had eight. I met a girl who had 16 as a junior, and I met a girl who had 14 as a sophomore and $12,000 in credit card debt.

Do you have any credit cards now?
One for business and one for personal. I have to older cards that I simply haven’t canceled yet because unfortunately the credit scoring formula punishes you for canceling credit cards.

Should credit card companies be banned from college campuses?
That doesn’t really matter. You’re still going to see them at sports games, malls, and country fairs.

What should be done?
We need to put more money into personal finance education.

What’s the most common mistake college students make regarding credit?
Getting a credit card without understanding how the credit card works. They have a credit score and people are keeping track. It’s important to know that if you charge something, there are trip wires everywhere.

Like what?
Credit cards have a due date, but they also have a due time.

What do you think about those freecreditreport.com commercials?
It’s technically not free, and a lot of students said they’ve been sucker punched. They give you a free credit report and score if you agree to sign up for the free credit monitoring service. If you forget to cancel the service (within the seven-day trial period) then you’re on the hook for $15 a month. It’s a trap. They’re riding off the government’s annual free credit report program.

In his e-mail to the board, James attached a four-page letter from an anonymous source James calls “The Mole.” James said he received the letter Friday in a white, typed business envelope. The envelope had no return address.

State Board of Election director Gary Bartlett said the board received James’ e-mail. Bartlett said his staff will determine if the allegations merit an investigation.

“It’s way too early in the process to find out what will happen,” Bartlett said.

The Black Political Caucus would not comment.

The ranking represents the state’s number of reported cases of gonorrhea.

Crazy right?

In an age in which free condoms are easily available. Information about the importance of safe sex is accessible on the internet. Everyone knows unprotected sex spreads the HIV virus, but still too many teens risk their lives by not using condoms.

On Monday, Planned Parenthood, MTV and Kaiser Family Foundation announced GYT: Get Yourself Tested. It’s a nationwide campaign, primarily online, to increase testing and treatment of STDs among teens and young adults under age 25.

In Charlotte, the campaign will make it easier for teens to get tested. Anyone who is symptom-free can walk into Planned Parenthood and get tested the same day or the next one. People who have symptoms must make an appointment to see a doctor, but typically they too can be seen the same day or the next day, said Lisa Bryan development associate of Planned Parenthood Health Systems. Also, high school students receiving annual exams at Planned Parenthood can receive free testing for gonorrhea and syphilis.

The online campaign, www.GYT09.org, provides information about STDs and testing locations. The mobile companion uses the GYT short code (49809).

These organizations are sounding the alarm here because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, North Carolina ranks 6th nationally in cases of gonorrhea with 16,666 reported cases in 2007.There were more than 30,000 cases of chlamydia in 2007. It’s a good bet many of those cases involve people under age 25.

According to the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services, there were 2,253 cases of gonorrhea reported in males under 25 from January to September last year. Of those, 816 were ages 0-19. The infection numbers for females were nearly double.

Bryan says the high number of infections among teens underscores the need for comprehensive sex education. The organization supports the Healthy Youth Act. This N.C. bill allows parents to choose between abstinence-only sex education and comprehensive sex education.

“Comprehensive sex education should be an option in the public schools because if teenagers aren’t taught how to protect themselves and be safe, then yes, they are putting themselves at risk for contracting HIV,” Bryan said.

Some healthcare professionals already say the AIDS rates in some Mecklenburg County zip codes are comparable to those in sub-Saharan Africa. If the STD numbers among people under 25 are any indication of where we’re headed, we’re in trouble.

“The question is what do we now? Where do we go from here?” Garvin said.

Below are some of Engage’s upcoming programs.

*April 18: Clean and Green. Engage will partner with CPCC for Clean and Green Day. Participants will examine water conservation as well as clean fuels.

*July 9: Webhall on Race and Politics. This is a continuation of Engage’s multi-media, interactive dialogues. Past webhalls featured national political figures such as Gen. Colin Powell and former Sec. of State Madeleine Albright. The July 9 event will feature local politician. Garvin said former Mayor Harvey Gantt will participate.
Considering the upcoming mayor’s race and other local races, this should be a good one.

May 30: Hip-Hop M.O.V.E Conference. Hip Hop Music Over Violent Entertainment is an ongoing partnership between Engage and Imagine On. During the conference participants will create and market socially and politically conscious hip-hop music. Garvin says the violence, crime, drugs and other destructive behaviors often glorified in rap music are political issues. The conference shows “young people the power of music, hip-hop particularly, when it comes to creating change and changing their community for the better,” Garvin said.

August: Leadership Academy. Engage will partner with Whitehead Associates to create a six-session leadership series. Sessions involve helping young adults identify their passions and purposes, build relationships, become professional and civic leaders, assess community needs and challenges, and understand the process of creating change. Garvin said the academy is for people under age 30 because most of the local leadership programs are for older adults.

Her own, and her students’.

Cahill’s story is an inspiration to all of the people under age 40 who felt empowered by President Obama’s election and want to change their local communities.

Cahill, 41, ran for Congress in Reno, Nevada in 2000. She did it to teach her sixth grade civics class anyone could run for public office. Not only did she teach her students a lesson, but she also found courage within herself when her task seemed overwhelming.

“I always had to remember that kids are watching, and it’s really important that they see someone being brave,” she said. “We ask them to be brave all the time.”

Cahill, who’s been teaching for 19 years, beat an ex-con in the Democratic primary, but she lost the general election. She wrote a memoir, “Ms. Cahill for Congress, about the experience. Halle Berry is slated to star in the film “Class Act,” based on Cahill’s story, according to Cahill’s publicist.

Cahill will speak at UNC-Charlotte’s McKnight Hall in the Cone Center at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. The event is free.

For Cahill and the people she inspired, losing the election was irrelevant because she proved her point. She wasn’t wealthy. She had no political connections. She was a teacher, a waitress on the weekends and a single mother of three.

No one expected her to win more than 10 percent of the vote in the general election, she said. She was taking on three-year incumbent Jim Gibbons (R-NV) in a mostly Republican state. His campaign budget was $320,000 compared to her $7,000 budget. Gibbons (now Nevada’s governor) had a campaign staff.

Cahill’s staff? Her sixth-grade students at Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School.

The students didn’t receive a grade for participating, and their parents signed a permission slip. The students scheduled news interviews, stops on the chicken-dinner circuit and fundraisers.

“They were in charge. They were so empowered,” Cahill said. “I was just amazed about how seriously they took it…Those kids still to this day are so involved and they’re just fearless.”

After last year’s election, let’s hope more people under age 40 become fearless in their local communities. Last year, many Gen Xers and millennials got their first taste of politics. They flocked to President Obama’s campaign, and embraced the organic feel of his campaign machine.

Cahill likes Obama tapped the youth, and her experience showed her firsthand how committed people can be if you get them involved. More local communities need people like Cahill to add their voices and perspectives to local and state issues.

Running for office wasn’t easy. Cahill worked a full-time job, took care of her three kids and traveled to countless meetings. She exposed herself, her children and her students to ridicule. She was overwhelmed and exhausted, but she never stopped giving her all. She wanted her students to see someone be brave. She wanted to show them politicians don’t have to come from wealthy families or be part of the political elite.

They can be single moms.

They can be teachers.

They can be you.

Majeed is starting his soccer movement in east Charlotte where he has converted Eastland Mall’s old ice rink into three indoor soccer fields called Concrete2Green Futsal Center.

On Saturday, Majeed will host Carnival Day to officially unveil the center. The event will offer a free clinic for youth ages 5-12 in the early afternoon and a tournament later. There will also be entertainment and exhibitions throughout the day.

Majeed opened the center in January for about a month. About 75-80 people of all ages and ethnicities played on the weekends. The center closed in February as Majeed, relatives, friends and students from Garinger High School installed two additional fields.

The center is winning early praise.

Darrell Bonapart, chairman of the Charlotte East Community Partners, stopped by the field several times. He said many youths and young men play and watch from the mall concourse above the field. Bonapart said he hopes city officials notice the venue’s success because one idea for redevelopment of the mall includes adding a sports complex.

“It has been a tremendous boost,” said Bonapart. “Everyone was really surprised … at how it’s drawn the young men off the streets. It’s been a great atmosphere.”

City Council member Nancy Carter agrees.

“It’s entertainment. It’s fun,” she said. “It’s an activity for kids as well as adults. It’s good a use of space.”

Read the full story here.

What do you think? Can indoor soccer boost the Eastland Mall area? Should a sports complex be a part of Eastland’s redevelopment?

In today’s look at grassroots mobilization, we meet the Charlotte Rainbow Action Network. Matt Comer, editor of Q-Notes newspaper, and several college-aged youth created C.R.A.N.E. to fill the gay activists void.

The group formed last fall to protest California’s Prop 8 law that bans gays and lesbians from marrying. Prop 8 was a nationwide call to action for the LGBT community because it was the first time a state granted rights and then stripped them, Comer said.

“It really galvanized a whole nation,” he said.

In the last dozen or so years, I’ve witnessed and often covered the battle for gay rights here. People often mobilize to protest, but the area needs a group to consistently advocate for gay rights the same way the Latin American Coalition fights for Hispanics.

Despite being a new group, C.R.A.N.E. has been active. Along with protesting Prop 8, the group rallied on the Square to make gays and lesbians more visible on Valentine’s Day. Last month, the group protested an ex-gay ministry conference at a local church.

C.R.A.N.E. provides a more youthful and energetic face in the fight for gay rights. The members believe they can make a difference. If they could a get a fraction of the money people donate to organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, they could be a force in local politics.

Today, we’ll hear from Ruben Campillo, advocacy coordinator for the Latin American Coalition.

The Coalition continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform and access to higher education for undocumented immigrants. The group is also building an alliance with African Americans.

On Saturday, the Latin American Coalition and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee will host the African-American Latino Alliance. During the half-day workshop participants will learn about issues facing both communities and about shared histories. Participants will discuss the economic and political power of both communities as well as possible strategies and goals for an alliance.

“Many times we fail to acknowledge we’re neighbors, we go to the same schools,” Campillo said. “We should be together addressing some of these issues.”

The summit will be 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday. Regarding immigration, the coalition will take its fight to Raleigh. On April 7, Campillo and 30 high school students will lobby state legislators to allow undocumented residents to attend community college.

“Community college was the next step for so many students who cannot afford to pay tuition at a four-year college,” he said.

It’s the second time Campillo and students have lobbied lawmakers. Earlier this month, Campillo took students to Washington to lobby the state delegation to pass comprehensive immigration reform and the Dream Act. The Dream Act provides immigrant students a path toward permanent residency.

These events come at a time when immigration issues are back in the local headlines. There was an outcry over the possibility of undocumented immigrant workers receiving stimulus money.

Also in the news is criticism over the effectiveness of the 287(g) deportation program.

“This program has not made our community any safer because now people are afraid to approach the police,” Campillo said.

The economy dominates headlines, but the fight over immigration reform is still a strong topic here. I expect to see groups such as the Latin American Coalition dedicate more resources to registering voters and educating everyone about immigration issues. But the coalition’s alliance with African Americans could be a notable development to watch.

Tomorrow, we hear from Matt Comer, leader of the new gay rights organization Charlotte Rainbow Action Network.