The State of Things

Before he died last year, Tom Weber spent close to two decades collecting stories about the people who lived in what was once Umstead State Park. A new book called "Stories in Stone" (The Umstead Coalition/2011) collects these oral histories, pictures and maps to paint a picture of what life was like for those who lived along the banks of Crabtree Creek long before the coming of Interstate 40 or Raleigh Durham International Airport.

Joe and Terry Graedon, hosts of the nationally-syndicated radio show “The People’s Pharmacy,” have worked to make holistic health information available to the public since the late 1970s, but this long-standing alliance came about somewhat by accident. In a pinch to meet deadlines, Joe asked Terry for some help with his book and his newspaper column. This initial collaboration over thirty years ago grew into a full-fledged partnership, and between the two of them, Joe and Terry have now written 19 books. Their latest, “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them” (Crown Archetype/2011), is a guide that empowers patients to take control of their own medical destiny. The Graedons join host Frank Stasio in the studio to talk about their work together in the field of alternative medicine.

Starting tomorrow, visitors to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham are going to get an education on race. A traveling exhibit called, "RACE: Are We So Different," seeks to highlight a simple truth: Race is really only skin deep. The exhibit is broken down into three sections that examine the history of race, the everyday experience of it and the science behind it. Host Frank Stasio talks to Yolanda Moses, professor of Anthropology at the University of California Riverside and Chair of the National Advisory Board on the RACE Project; Alan Goodman, a professor of Biological Anthropology at Hampshire College in Massachusetts and the co-director of the RACE project; and Taneka Bennett, the director of Marketing and Public Relations at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

When Diali Cissokho met Hillary Stewart in his native Senegal he didn't know he'd soon be moving to North Carolina with her to play his kora and start a band. But his life in North Carolina has been fruitful musically and personally. His band Kairaba plays the Shakori Hills festival this weekend, but first they play live in our studio. Kairaba is Diali Cissokho on the kora, John Westmoreland on the guitar, Jonathan Henderson on the bass, and Will Ridenour and Austin McCall on percussion.

If you've listened to music any time since the '80s, then you may be familiar with Weird Al Yankovic's wacky parodies of popular music. He rose to fame with his send-ups of such hits as "My Sharona," and "Another One Bites the Dust," and he's stayed current by poking fun at modern stars such as Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber. He's coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center Sunday. Frank Stasio talks to him about his concert, his album, "Alpocalypse" and more.

In 2009, Wake County voters elected a new Republican majority to the county school board. Those board members made it their mission to dismantle a long-standing school assignment plan that emphasized socio-economic diversity. In the ensuing two years, the Wake County school board has seen the resignation of its old superintendent, the hiring of a new one and the ongoing reconfiguration of its assignment plan. Board members have also seen themselves on the national news as police broke up protests at school board meetings and led opponents away in handcuffs.

Protestors have been camped out in New York City's financial district for a few weeks now calling for radical changes to everything from the financial system to immigration policy. The movement has gotten worldwide media attention and spread to 65 other cities across the country including several in North Carolina. Host Frank Stasio speaks to Tom Maxwell, a musician and gadfly who is in lower Manhattan attending the protests; and Jillian Johnson a Durham activist helping to organize one of the upcoming protests in the Triangle.

These days, the term “philanthropist” is most often associated with multi-million dollar gifts to good causes, but a new book aims to reclaim the word for folks without Oprah-sized bank accounts. “Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African-American Philanthropists” (John F. Blair Publishers/2011) honors the generosity and goodwill that comes from everyday people and shines a light on the long legacy of giving in the black community. Valaida Fullwood and Charles Thomas Jr., the book’s author and photographer, join host Frank Stasio to talk about how to recognize philanthropy in your own social circle.

Sure, “Save the Whales” bumper stickers may not be as popular as they once were, but whale researcher Michael Fishbach says that doesn’t mean the waters are any safer for the majestic creatures. Fishbach is co-director of the Great Whale Conservancy and is particularly concerned with protecting blue whales, the largest animals on earth. He joins host Frank Stasio to talk about how efforts to save the whales have changed.

A fundraiser for Great Whale Conservancy will be held at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC on October 17th at 6 p.m.  For more information, click here.

The Atlantic Coast Conference recently announced a plan to add Syracuse University and the University of Pittsburgh to its ever-growing roster of schools. Proponents say growth is inevitable, as conferences around the country expand to maximize television contract money. Detractors say more schools means less emphasis on tradition, and that student athletes get lost in the shuffle.