The Broadside

On a rainy day in 1979, a photograph was taken of a young girl skateboarding down a street in Fayetteville, North Carolina. 45 years later, that photo went viral with a little help from the most famous skater who ever lived: Tony Hawk. This week, we find out who the mystery girl in the picture was and why the snapshot was so ahead of its time. Featuring:  Jeremy Markovich, writer of the North Carolina Rabbit Hole Tony Hawk, skateboarder Shaunda Shane, skateboarder Links:  Check out Jeremy's article about tracking down Shaunda Shane. View photographs of Shaunda skateboarding from the Fayetteville Observer. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From the White House to your living room, North Carolina’s iconic Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree in America. But this holiday season, something is threatening to wipe it out —  and the $250 million dollar industry associated with it. Special thanks this week goes out to Kate Sheppard of The Assembly.Featuring: Steve Riley, contributor at The AssemblyLinks:  Check out Steve's article about the race to save America's favorite Christmas tree here. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For more than a century, people near Brown Mountain have witnessed unusual displays of shimmering and sometimes even exploding lights. A skeptical scientist has spent years trying to solve the mystery.This week, we’re heading to the mountains of western North Carolina for an episode produced by Atlas Obscura in partnership with Visit North Carolina.Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Trading stories is an ancient and deeply human experience. But today, most of the stories we consume come to us through a digital screen. So it might surprise you to find out that we're in the midst of a revival of the old school style of storytelling. Turns out, sitting in a crowded room with other people, sharing funny and tragic and unbelievable stories live and in person has never been bigger.  Thank you to Nancy Reeder of the North Carolina Storytelling Guild for reaching out and pitching this show idea.And special thanks also goes out to linguist and former Broadside guest Brody McCurdy for providing us with audio from the Voices of Chatham project, an ongoing oral history and documentary recording the history, culture, and language of Chatham County. Voices of Chatham was created in collaboration between NC State’s Language & Life Project and the Chatham County Historical Association. Featuring:  Ellen Bland, organizer of Mill Town Yarns in Chatham County, NC Willa Brigham, professional storyteller Alan Hoal, founder and chair of the Old North State Storytelling Festival in Cary, NC Jeff Polish, founder and executive director of The Monti in Durham, NC Links: You can find a transcript of this episode here.Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fortnite was an unlikely hit from an unlikely place: North Carolina-based Epic Games. Innovative game design and smart leveraging of social media and live streaming catapulted it into becoming one of the world's biggest video games. And today, Fortnite is a bona fide cultural phenomenon. But can the memes and viral dance moves go on forever?Featuring:  Brian Gordon, Technology & Innovation reporter for The News & Observer Jamal Michel, video game and culture critic Links:  Check out Brian’s multi-part series on Epic Games and Fortnite. Read Jamal’s recent piece in The New York Times about the history of female characters in video games. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're launching a new kind of episode where we spend an ordinary day in the life of someone doing something extraordinary. Join us as we tag along with renowned North Carolina-based muralist Dare Coulter while she works to bring a very big and very public artistic vision to life.Featuring:  Dare Coulter, professional artist and muralistLinks:  View Anisa and Charlie’s horse drawings here. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Check out more of Dare's artwork on her Instagram and Facebook. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s Election Week in America–and if you’re like us, you’re probably a little burned out with politics. So we’re offering up something different. This week, we ask three veteran political reporters a single question: what’s the most bizarre story you've ever covered?Featuring:  Barry Yeoman, freelance writer and contributor at The Assembly Jim Morrill, former politics reporter at the Charlotte Observer Dawn Vaughan, Capitol Bureau Chief at The News & Observer Special thanks this week goes out to WUNC’s Colin Campbell and Kate Sheppard of The Assembly.Links:  Read about the 1996 "political campaign" of Jolene Strickland at The Assembly here. Check out Dawn's story about Diet Sun Drop soda at The News & Observer here. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Known as the "Furniture Capital of the World," North Carolina is famous for its high-quality furniture. And for over a century, it's been the heartbeat of the American furniture industry. But in recent decades, that business has changed dramatically, decimating the workforce and leaving average American consumers with two less-than-ideal options: high-end luxury products or cheap and mostly disposable mass-produced stuff.Featuring:  Zaki Khalifa, former owner of Zaki Oriental Rugs in High Point, NC Tammy Nagum, President and CEO of the High Point Market Authority Federico Contigiani, President of Hickory Chair Matt Hartman, reporter at The Assembly Thanks to the team at the High Point Market Authority for their help during Market week, especially Ben Muller. Special thanks also this week to NC State Libraries' Special Collections Research Center.Links:  Check out Matt’s reporting on the evolution of North Carolina furniture. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The North Carolina State Fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States, drawing nearly a million people each year. And it's in full swing right now. We went yesterday and brought you back some funnel cake.Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The South is seeing the effects of a warming climate. 2024 was the hottest summer on record for much of the region. For people who work outside, it’s making jobs more difficult, dangerous... and even deadly.This week, we chat with two journalists from WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio about their multi-part series Scorched Workers, which examines the impact of rising heat on outdoor workers in North Carolina.Special thanks goes out to WUNC's Elizabeth Baier.Featuring:  Aaron Sánchez-Guerra, Race, Class & Communities Reporter at WUNC Celeste Gracia, Environment Reporter at WUNC Links:  Check out Aaron and Celeste’s series Scorched Workers. You can find a transcript of this episode here. Donate: The Broadside is made possible by contributions from listeners like you. Support WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio and this podcast by making a donation here.Sign up for WUNC's new Politics Newsletter here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.