We folks at The Fayetteville Observer website and newspaper do not have all the answers. Though I know it may seem like we believe otherwise sometimes.
But far from it. We need you to not only read but to be a part of telling this community’s complex, vivid and wildly diverse story.
That is one of several reasons the Observer’s Opinion section began the Community Advisory Board — to draw different perspectives from people with different experiences and different opinions.
“What’s the ‘do’ for?” a young black woman asked.
An Open Letter to City of Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin June 17, 2020:
We have joined together in writing this letter because we could not remain silent while the leaders of our community have yet to announce any police reforms. There are actions that can be implemented now that would reduce the likelihood of violence by police officers in the future.
The frustration and anger that we are feeling is from our own personal experiences and the constant struggle of wanting our voices to be heard. We must change and reform police policy in Fayetteville to ensure that the city we live in currently is better for our children. While we acknowledge the progress that has been made in recent years, there is much more that can be done.
NORTH CAROLINA – In a Spectrum News 1 segment, Voices for Change, we hear from North Carolinians about their lives, struggles, and hope for the future.
In this segment we hear from Mario Benavente, a UNC-Chapel Hill graduate who has used his voice to organize to protest against racial injustice.
The image of Derek Chauvin’s knee on George Floyd’s neck has circulated around the globe for the past year. We have all heard him mutter the words “I can’t breathe” on the asphalt of a Minneapolis street because strangers used their phones to record what was being done.
The gruesome video of how he died shaped protests across North Carolina. In Fayetteville, it lit a literal fire on the Market House — a building known as the focal point of the city where goods were sold, and at one point, slaves were auctioned.
Conflict around the national historical landmark dates back to the Civil War — when troops were marching on the same stretch of road where activists now gather almost 200 years later. Floyd’s death didn’t bring the mixed history of the market house to light all of a sudden. According to one activist living in the community, Mario Benavente, it metaphorically shattered something already broken for people who were already mad.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) — Fayetteville is looking for the fountain of youth. City leaders are developing a plan to attract millennials to the community.
Mario Benavente, a 29-year-old Fayetteville native who attended UNC-Chapel Hill, moved back to the area after graduation. “Here we have an opportunity to come up with the city. You’re getting in on the ground floor. No, we’re not as big as Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, but you have a hand in making us the next big city,” said Benavente.
Name: Mario Benavente
Age: 31
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Where do you live now? Fayetteville
Employer: North Carolina Central University School of Law
Job title: Third-year law student