Greensboro Daily Photo

got PIGEONS?

Walking downtown the other day, we spotted a feral pigeon hunting for food on the railroad tracks. Greensboro doesn't seem to have a pigeon problem and, in true pigeon character, those that are around seem to live downtown. If you love pigeons, chances are you know that the National Pigeon Association just held their national conference in Salt Lake City, Utah at the end of January! Seeing how fancy some of the specialty breeds are, our little old park pigeon would not garner much interest! Did you know that pigeons drink by suction and so, ideally, their water source should be at least an inch deep. Also, while pigeons are grain eaters, the feral/park pigeons have learned to eat just about anything humans toss out.

Pigeons and doves constitute the same bird family: Columbidae. Many people use the term interchangeably. However, North Carolina has a great tradition of dove hunting but not pigeon hunting-- at least not for food! Finally, the main differences is not in the birds but in the word origin.  "Dove" comes to English via German, "Taube," and "pigeon" comes from French, "pigeon."

 

Chick-fil-A

Those of you who come for Sacred Sunday are in the right place. Every Sunday, we publish a photo intended to cause viewers to reflect on their spirituality. Chick-fil-A is featured today because all 1,480 stores are closed on Sunday so that workers can respect the Sabbath and be home with their families. One might think that one day a week of lost revenue would hurt the company; however, Chick-fil-A is in its 42nd consecutive year of positive sales growth. Still a privately-owned family business, Chick-fil-A is planning 78 new locations and renovations on 86 existing stores. The owners, the Cathys of Georgia, are devout Christians and express this devotion not only at home and in press releases but also every Sunday at every store.

The store in this photo (taken yesterday) is at the corner of Battleground Avenue and New Garden Road. 

 

Girl Scout Cookie Time 2010

Hurray!!! Finally!!!!!! Barring inclement weather, Girl Scouts cookies will be arriving in the Triad today. Word has it they will be selling cookies at the Harris Teeter on N. Elm Street, where this photo was taken (last year). Let us see, thin mints, shortbread, caramel deLites, peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter patties, lemonades, cinnamon rounds, thanks-a-lot. Oh those memories of childhood. 

Alice always said, "nothing beats staying up watching the Olympics and eating Girl Scout cookies." She also said that her scout troop leader was second only to her mother in guiding and mentoring her in her youth. A teacher friend of ours said that teacher appreciation week is not the same without a box of thanks-a-lots.  So much goodness is tied up in the purchase of a box of Girl Scout cookies, Boy Scout popcorn, Kiwanis Club pancakes. Put on your rain galoshes and find a civic organization to support today!

Visit our friends over at Newton Daily Photo if you like visual reflections!

 

Snow and Fog: Time to Reflect

This is a view in northwest Guilford County, a couple of mornings ago just before the sun rose. It has been an emotional week for us at Greensboro Daily Photo. With the opening of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum in downtown Greensboro we got help document and share a fabulous moment in time. 

However, yesterday, our dear friend Alice Moore, frequent commenter on Greensboro Daily Photo, slipped into eternal sleep. Alice was a lifelong resident of East Greensboro, a photographer, historian, and Francophile. Alice provided us with much food for thought not only about Greensboro, but about life in general. She will be sorely missed as will her comments on this blog. This photo with its breathy, nebulous aura reminds us of her absence. If you could see souls dissipating, surely, this is what they would look like.

We're posting this photo on Sky Watch Friday and, if you follow our link, you can see hundreds of sky views from around the world...... somewhere, out there, is a warm, sunny day.

 
 

The Many Faces of Greensboro

People are sitting in the Barnes & Noble Cafe reading, grading papers, and having great conversations during a day of sloshy, lingering snow. We are featuring this post today to celebrate the self portraits of the many young students prominently displayed above. The faces, on thin sheets of foil, reflect the diversity of students in the Guilford County Schools. Our art teachers work very hard to get their students' work displayed in the community. Often, these exhibitions are hung in conjunction with school book nights at the bookstore. Could one of these faces be a future leader? Yesterday, we featured an art piece of four of Greensboro's finest students from 1960. Today, we feature 60 youthful faces of 2010.

Great art, the aroma of new books, and the taste of fresh coffee. Simply heaven!
 

Sit-in Art: A Cup of Freedom

Charles Jenkins, a security officer at the Guilford County Courthouse drew a sketch that would become this bronze work of art, named by Jenkins, "A Cup of Freedom." In Jenkins' sculpture, the cup rim is the lunch counter with the Greensboro Four seated (McCain, McNeil, Richmond, and Blair, Jr.). The coffee cup may be small is size (under 20 inches square as per the requirements of the project) but it is LARGE in symbolism. This stunning bronze artwork is prominently featured on the southeast corner of the International Civil Rights Museum and Center at the corner of February 1 Place and Elm Street. You can either enjoy this piece as a prelude to your museum visit or afterwords once understanding the Sit-in Movement more fully. We suggest both.

"C" is for "cup" on ABC Wednesday!!!
 

Jesse Jackson & Franklin McCain Together in Greensboro

In this photo, the Reverend Jesse Jackson and Dr. Franklin E. McCain enjoy a few minutes of one-on-one time after the 50th Sit-in Anniversary Breakfast sponsored by N.C. A&T. They are about to take the stage for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the opening of the International Civil Rights Museum & Center. Reverend Jackson's prayer was dynamic as was Dr. McCain's short speech. From National Public Radio to the New York Times, media coverage about the museum's opening has been national. However, we were shocked to learn that out of the Greensboro Four, David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and Ezell Blair, Jr. (now Khazan), as of February 1st 2010, only the latter has an individual biography listed on Wikipedia. Hopefully, someone in our new museum will be inspired to add entries for the other three Civil Rights visionaries.

 

50th Anniversary of the Sit-In Movement

By the time you see this post, these seats will have been filled, and the International Civil Rights Center & Museum will be open. The museum has been 15 years in the making and is a realized dream of, among others,  North Carolinians Earl Jones and Skip Alston. If you haven't been following the story, the museum was built in the Woolworth building where, on February 1st, 1960, four 17-year-old NC A&T freshmen entered Woolworth and were denied service at the "whites only" lunch counter. This event sparked a series of sit-ins in throughout the southeast. The original lunch counter is one of many exhibits on site that bring back memories of racial segregation. Young Americans today cannot believe that people were denied service based on the color of their skin. 

We all need to be thankful for the determination of David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Jibreel Khazan (born Ezell Blair, Jr.), and Joseph McNeil. As America becomes increasingly diverse in the 21st century, we need to respect the inherent worth and dignity of each other. The opening of this museum is a step in the right direction. This photo was taken on the stage where McCain is scheduled to speak at the event today. Khazan and McNeil will not speak but will be on stage. Mr Richmond died twenty years ago. If you want to read more, we suggest Ed Cone's blog as well as this article from the New York Times.