WFU in the news: June 12-18, 2023

FEATURED NEWS

Stereotypes about dads are harming millions, family relationship expert warns
Phys.org
“The fact that so many Americans are held captive by these baseless beliefs helps explain why many American fathers do not take a paternity leave even though their company offers it,” explains education professor Linda Nielsen. “These fathers say they are worried that if they take time off, their families will pay the price down the road. Though their employer might have an official leave policy, many men worry how their bosses or co-workers really feel about their taking leave.” – 6/19/2023

This story was covered in news outlets nationwide.

Why Juneteenth represents freedom better than July 4 for many Americans
By Jayla Whitfield-Anderson | Yahoo News
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in America. But the Civil War was still raging, and the South’s brutal enslavement of Black people continued. “Those proclamations by the federal government did not reach everyone, nor did everyone in those rebelling territories feel that they were obligated to follow the dictates of President Lincoln and the federal government,” said Corey D.B. Walker, professor of humanities and director of Wake Forest’s program of African American Studies. – 6/19/2023

This story also appeared on AOL.com.

NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

States should decide the legality of abortion, voters at the state level have been doing just that
By Lorna Grisby | The Conversation
Politics professor John Dinan wrote that even before the Dobbs ruling, state constitutional amendments had shaped abortion policy as much as state court rulings had. “Before the Dobbs ruling, abortion-related amendments invariably sought to limit protection for abortion rights by clarifying that there is no state constitutional right to abortion. After the Dobbs decision, most proposed abortion-related amendments have aimed to expand protection of abortion rights.” – 6/12/2023

Is it legal to sell human remains? Harvard morgue scandal raises questions.
By Abby Patkin | Boston.com
Despite widespread agreement that the sale of human remains should be illegal — at least without the person’s consent — only some states have laws that actually reflect that belief. It’s complicated, according to law professor Tanya Marsh, the author of “The Law of Human Remains.” “Funeral and cemetery law is almost exclusively state law, and those state laws vary quite a bit,” she said. – 6/16/2023

State Issue 1 would make Ohio one of the toughest states for citizens to propose constitutional amendments
By Andrew Tobias | Cleveland.com
Politics professor John Dinan, an expert on state constitutional amendments, said geographic-based petition restrictions are a common way that states set limits on amendment campaigns. Most states set them by congressional or legislative district. “Ohio’s current requirement that a certain amount of signatures be collected in half of the state’s counties is more in keeping with what other states require. An 88-county requirement would be at the clear upper end of what states require in terms of a geographical distribution requirement for signature collection.” – 6/18/2023

2023’s Best & Worst States for Working Dads
By Adam McCann | WalletHub
The contemporary dad no longer fits neatly into the standard of the married breadwinner and disciplinarian. Education professor Linda Nielsen is a featured expert in this article. She addresses questions about the biggest issues facing working dads today, including family leave policies and childcare and housework expectations for work-from-home fathers. Nielsen’s sixth book, “Myths & Lies About Dads: How They Hurt Us All,” was recently published by Routledge – 6/13/2023

This twin city town In North Carolina is rich in history
By Nicole Letts | Southern Living
Simply called “Winston” by locals, Winston-Salem is a twin city town with deep roots. It is home to six colleges and universities, most notably Wake Forest University, where Maya Angelou once taught poetry and the ACC’s Demon Deacons play. Take a spin through the college which moved from the Raleigh area to Winston-Salem in 1956. – 6/16/2023

REGIONAL & TRADE

Juneteenth: A time of reflection and celebration, with some historical and contemporary complications
By David Ford | WFDD-FM (Winston-Salem, NC)
Humanities professor Corey Walker calls July 4th a reminder that the promises of our highest ideals can be compromised by the frailties of the human condition. “But falling short does not mean we stop the journey,” said Walker. “It means that we recommit ourselves with earnest dedication to fulfilling the promises of these great ideals in trying to embody them for now and for those who come and who will continue the journey.” – 6/16/2023

LOCAL

State of the Economy
By Greater Winston-Salem
State of the Economy Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. held the State of the Economy event presented by Wake Forest University on June 14, featuring NC Secretary of Commerce Machelle Baker Sanders as the keynote speaker. As a center of economic activity, Winston-Salem is poised for continued economic attraction and retention in 2023 and beyond. – 6/15/2023

More than ‘a Band-Aid’: Smith Reynolds presses erosion project, calls for city funds
By John Deem | Winston-Salem Journal
Courtney Di Vittorio, an engineering professor who specializes in water management and is familiar with the Brushy Fork site, agreed that pinpointing a cause of the erosion is complicated. “I am coming from the engineering perspective, which emphasizes acknowledging unknowns and uncertainties,” she explained. “I do think this anecdotal evidence from residents regarding the rapid erosion is important and helps to tell the story, but it is difficult to prove this given the data we have available.” – 6/19/2023

WAKE FOREST NEWS

Summer Institute to focus on environmental justice reporting
By Keri Brown | Wake Forest News
Wake Forest University will host its first Summer Institute dedicated to advancing environmental justice reporting in the southeast from June 26-30. This environmental justice initiative is a collaboration between Wake Forest’s Program in African American Studies and journalism program with support by a major grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. – 6/12/2023