BODY OF MISS NORTH CAROLINA,
WHO DIED OF CANCER,
TO BE BURIED IN AFRICA
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
The family of Carrie Everett, the first woman to attend an HBCU who was selected to be Miss North Carolina, says her body will be taken to her native Africa for burial after her funeral services on April 18th.
Those services will be held in Auburn, Washington, where the family resides, as well as here in North Carolina on a later date.
Everett, 22, died surrounded by her family on Easter Sunday after succumbing to signet ring cell carcinoma, an advanced form of gastric or stomach cancer.
In an interview with Durham television station WTVD, Ms. Everett’s parents, grandmother and older siblings talked about how hard it has been after her passing to cope with the fact that she is gone at such a young age.
"It's hard. We're not going to pretend. It's been the hardest moment of our life as a family," said her mother, Mary Everett from their home in Auburn, Washington.
The Everett family is originally from Liberia, and moved to Washington prior to Ms. Everett then moving to North Carolina to attend North Carolina Central University in 2023. She entered the Miss North Carolina competition, representing Johnston County, during her sophomore year, planning to graduate in 2027.
She won Miss North Carolina in June 2024, with hopes of going on to compete in that year’s Miss America Pageant, but never made it.
Ms. Everett was the youngest of her siblings, and is remembered by them as being “compassionate and bold.” "She was never shy to tell the way she felt about things, sometimes not even sparing feelings, but that's who she was," said her older brother, Abenego Kondiano.
Her older sister, Rufina Everett, recalls the strength and courage Carrie displayed while battling the deadly disease.
"In this battle, she would always say she didn't set out to be an inspiration, but she wanted to fight to live so with her life she could love people," Rufina said.
Carrie Everett’s legacy will now live on as a symbol of strength and great promise. She loved singing, and attended NCCU as a vocal performance major. Her family calls her a “true child of North Carolina.”
"Thank you for loving her, supporting her, [and] supporting her in prayer." Everett’s mother, Mary, said. “It meant a lot.”
-30-
DESPITE POLLS, WHY IS IT
UNLIKELY FOR DEMOCRATS
TO RECLAIM LEGISLATURE?
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
According to three recent polls, a plurality of North Carolinians say they believe it’s time for Democrats to reclaim the NC General Assembly. Indeed, a series of national polls suggest that Democrats are in prime position to reclaim at least the U.S. House after the 2026 midterm elections, and possibly the U.S. Senate, so all arrows seem to be pointing in favor of the party out of power right now.
But back here in North Carolina, despite polls from Elon University, Catawba College, and a nonprofit organization, all showing Democratic support ranging from 41% to 48%, even if that were to translate into more votes for legislative Democrats in November, there is one thing that has, and may continue to keep Republicans in power regardless.
Redistricting.
As long as Republicans continue to be able to determine how the legislative and congressional voting districts are drawn, as they have since 2010 when they took over the legislature, they will be able to choose their voters simply by making sure the boundaries are redrawn so that a majority of voting districts yield Republican representatives.
Because of redistricting, it is quite possible for there to be a large Democratic voter turnout, and still end up with a Republican majority in both houses of the NC General Assembly.
Republicans are just one vote shy of a super-majority in the state House necessary to over-ride a governor’s veto on legislation, but maintain a veto-proof super-majority in the state Senate.
How hard would a full Democratic legislative takeover be at this stage? According to former Gov. Roy Cooper, Democrats would have to run Mark Robinson, the disastrous and disgraced 2024 Republican gubernatorial candidate who lost by 15 points, in all 170 districts.
Still, Republican legislative leaders, weary of the fact that North Carolinians, just like the rest of America, is angry with the controversial leadership of Republican Pres. Donald Trump, are cautiously watching the public opinion polls very carefully.
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment