When Rocky Mount moved from at-large elections to ward-based voting in 1985, the city looked very different. In 1980, Rocky Mount’s total population was 41,283. At that time, Black residents made up just over 42 percent of the population. The shift to seven single-member wards came in that context, when Black citizens were a large … Continue reading Changing How We Vote: 1985 Was a 42 Percent Minority City. 2026 That Minority Has Changed To a 62 Percent Majority. →

In recent weeks many readers have asked a direct question as the conversation about changing how Rocky Mount votes continues to grow. What would city-wide voting actually look like in practice? Right now council members are chosen by ward. Candidates come from one of the seven wards, and only voters who live inside that ward … Continue reading What City-Wide Voting Would Actually Mean for Rocky Mount →

There is another way to describe what happened at the council meeting on Monday, February 24, 2026. Councilman Knight took a direct inquiry about a public obligation and reframed it with grievances drawn from history. The deflection was not subtle, and it was not effective. It was an obvious attempt to change the focus from … Continue reading Councilman Knight’s Deflection Builds the Case for City Wide Voting →

There is a name for Councilman Knight's kind of response, it is called whataboutism, the practice of deflecting a direct question by introducing unrelated grievances. Councilman Knight said he would be glad to answer the question of his utility bill of $47,000 when his questions were answered. For example: Why were black people inslaved in … Continue reading Andre Knight’s Response To Answering The Question Of $47.000 At City Council 2-23-26 →

After finishing Bret Baier’s new book on Teddy Roosevelt, I've turned next to a biography of Alice Roosevelt, TR’s first child, born into history and into loss when her mother died shortly after her birth. I will admit that the early chapters, filled with the spectacle of “the President’s daughter,” bored me no end. Yet … Continue reading “While We Wait for the Audit, History Keeps Talking.” →