On November 7, 2022, our friend and longtime writer Philip Gerard passed away unexpectedly. In every story that he wrote for us, he helped us understand a little bit more about what it means to be a North Carolinian.
philip gerard
The 1980s: A Man of Grand Designs
Harvey Gantt arrives in Charlotte as a leader with vision, helping shape the city’s future as an architect and, following his election in 1983, as its first black mayor.
The 1980s: The City That Almost Wasn’t
By the early 1980s, downtown Asheville is struggling. But when a plan to jump-start the area threatens to alter its character, locals spring into action, taking steps toward a bright future.
The 1980s: A Reunion for the Ages
A quest to discover her roots inspired a Tyrrell County native to organize a homecoming for the descendants of the men and women once enslaved at Somerset Place Plantation.
The 1980s: City of Stars
A major film production finds its principal location in southeastern North Carolina, setting the stage for Wilmington’s new role as “Hollywood East.”
The 1980s: The Challenger Seven
One of the worst accidents of the American space program shapes a generation: In 1986, the nation mourns the heroes aboard the space shuttle Challenger, including two astronauts with deep ties to North Carolina.
The 1980s: The Bird Man
In Wilmington, a biology professor makes it his mission to understand and protect the waterbirds that nest along the North Carolina coast — and inspires his students to do the same.
The 1980s: Dream Weavers
In 1980s North Carolina, immigrants from Asia and around the world find refuge from war, freedom from persecution, and fresh opportunities. In return, they weave new strands of art and culture into the tapestry of our state.
The 1980s: Pioneers of the Piedmont
When two scientists from Research Triangle Park win a Nobel Prize, their victory represents the fulfillment of the park’s original mission: to make world-class science part of North Carolina’s DNA.
