Simply Cheris. . .

If the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery haven't taught us the importance of local elections, I don't know what it will take for us to learn that lesson. Yes, the federal government is a dumpster fire right now. But we're touched by what the people in our front yard do. Stream the latest City Council meeting here . (Starts at 5 p.m. today)  And a lot of times, those touches are more like punches to the face. Take Charlotte, for instance, during this global pandemic,   our mayor was basically MIA . When protests started in the Queen City,  Mayor Vi Lyles finally showed up. She wanted to talk. She talks a lot. As well as the Charlotte City Council. Charlotte has been talking since the 2016 uprising after the killing of Keith Lamont Scott by CMPD. Lyles was a city council member during that shooting.  She proposed a seven-point plan to reduce racial and class divisions in the city, parts of which were approved by the council. Present...

Hey, Vi. Girl, where have you been? There's a whole pandemic going on and the citizens of the City of Charlotte, the ones you duped, I mean who voted for you and swallowed your campaign promises,  haven't heard a word from you. Let's face facts, Charlotte mayors are figure heads. The city manager and council run the city. Clearly the police too, but we'll get there in a minute. Not only have you been missing, but you've changed.  I was proud in 2017 that my adopted home of Charlotte, NC had its first woman mayor who was African American. But my grandma was right, all your skin folk aren't your kin folk. But you tricked me, sis. I remember when you stood for something. Following the  shooting of Keith Lamont Scott  in September 2016, (Lyles) proposed a seven-point plan to reduce racial and class divisions in the city, parts of which were approved by the council. It's four years later and here we are—again. So, you sat out the pandemic and whil...